Home Improvement as The Story goes
by fanfaction lover
Summary: This is the story of the Taylor family as written by Jill. She is older now and the children are grown and she is a grandmother. She has decided to write an autobiography and this is her story.
1. Chapter 1

The Taylor family lived in a nice home. Both Jill and Tim had their own cars, they were what would be considered an average American family. But who decides what an average family is? Certainly not strangers, who have no conception of what each family has for strengths and weaknesses. As Jill sat down to write her life's story she reflected on her life.

Tim had his own home improvement show on television for over twenty years when he had decided to retire. She and her husband had spent the next few years just going from town to town and had ended back in their home town once again some five years later. But Tim's health had started to decline and they were not able to do what they had once been able to do.

When Jill and Tim had moved back they got to be close to the grandchildren, but that is all in the present. Jill looked at the picture of Tim and reflected on their life together.

As she wrote her autobiography she thought of her life before Tim. She had been raised with her sisters in a very strict home. They had been what was called army brats and her father Colonel Fred Patterson could be very demanding of them. But, she had managed to come out of her childhood with a solid education and a head on her shoulders.

Tim and she had met on a blind date. It had been set up by one of her sisters and from the first time that they had met they became a couple. Jill had fallen in love with this funny man who was always getting into some kind of minor mishap. As she met each of his seven brothers she became even a little more intrigued.

Her father had wanted for Jill to meet and marry perhaps an army officer. Tim was the most uncoordinated man that he had seen almost and he worried that Tim would not be able to support his wife properly. But, Jill had always been able to talk her father into anything and at the age of twenty-two Jill and Tim got married.

Tim was two years her senior and had been working on producing and staring in a Home Improvement show for years. When they married he worked as a construction worker. Jill had a job at a local store and they made out all right . The only apartment that they could afford was a tiny little studio where everything was all in one small room. The kitchen stove was old and the refrigerator was even older. They were on the third floor in the back of the building. In the summer the apartment was very hot and in the winter it was very cold. In the whole apartment there was only one heater.

Jill laughed as she thought of the three outlets that the apartment had. If you wanted to watch television you had to unplug something. Tim and she were always blowing a fuse. This would mean going downstairs to ask the landlord for the key to the cellar. Sometimes he would be at a bar and they would have no lights for hours. The sink leaked and the bathtub was always clogging up. But it was their home and both Jill and Tim were determined to make the home a happy one.

Downstairs from the Taylor's was a family with six children living in a three bedroom apartment. The children were very loud sometimes and would keep them up until very late at night. But they would make up for it in the morning, sometimes starting to make a lot of noise around six am. Each and everyday was a new experience and Jill never knew what would happen.

Tim was a man's man and just never understood women. Jill knew that he loved her, but sometimes he had a strange way of showing it. Through the years she had learned to take the good with the bad. Now that she was reflecting on her life she saw that the good times far out weighed the bad and she was glad that they had married.

The first few years for the Taylor family were much like many other young couple's lives. There was little money and lots of bills. Jill had not ever learned to cook a decent meal. She bought a Betty Crocker cookbook and was always trying different recipes out on Tim.

She remembered the time that she thought she would try out something new. They did not have much money and so it seemed as though every night all they had was pasta and maybe a small amount of hamburger. They could not yet afford much. But on this day she had decided that she was going to try out something that they had never had. She decided to make frog legs.

As Jill prepared the recipe and tried to follow the directions exactly, she waited anxiously for Tim to come home from work. The recipe seemed to be easy but it called for her to cook them in oil. She was not proficient with the stove and when Tim came in he discovered that the stove was on fire. It was a small fire, but it was a fire just the same.

Tim was the one that usually caused the accidents and there was a fire extinguisher right next to the stove. As he put out the fire he looked into the pan and saw that whatever was in there was not edible. Jill looked at the mess and the black smoke marks that were now on the ceiling and started to cry. "Tim I was trying to make you something different tonight. I wanted to surprise you and now look at the mess." She had cried on his shoulder that night.

In his customary way Tim said "It's all right that dinner was burned. I just feel sorry for the frogs that can't jump anymore." With that he had taken her hand and the two of them had gone out to dinner together that night.

Then one day while Jill was at work she did not feel very good. As the days went by she realized that she wasn't getting any better. She was sitting at the kitchen table of that little apartment and thought to herself. 'Could I be pregnant?' She thought of what was going on in her life and thought that perhaps she was. That was when she called the doctor and made the appointment.

The next day she went to the doctors and found out that yes she was pregnant. The first Taylor boy was on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

Jill and Tim had found themselves as many other young couples had. They were soon to be a family of three and there wasn't much money. When she told Tim about the baby, he was like a child with a big birthday gift. He had not even known three days when he had come home with a baseball bat and glove for his little boy.

Tim went to work many hours of overtime and soon came their first son. They named him Brad. He was healthy and had bleach blonde hair. Tim continued his long hours at work and somehow they managed to purchase a small lot of land. Tim wanted to build a home with his own two hands. The lot was a perfect size and very near the downtown area.

The house was a large project and with the help of his brother's the house started to take shape. It was a two story home with a large sliding door that went out to the fenced in backyard.

That was when Tim and Jill met a man that would become one of their best friends, a man named Wilson. He was older than they were and had done everything in his life that they could imagine. Whenever there was a problem he was a good person to go to.

The home had a large kitchen something that Jill had ever wanted. Everything was done to their taste and at just six months old Brad became the first boy to move into the new house.

Tim was always the major provider for the family. He didn't think that it was a man's job to feed or change the baby. But, Jill was a lady of the eighties and she had other thoughts on the subject.

Jill's sister was soon to have her own child and there was going to be a shower. Jill didn't want to bring the baby with her, as she wanted to spend all the time with her friends and family. She was only going to be gone for a couple of hours and Tim was not going to be at work. She left instructions and all of the bottles ready to be warmed. Tim was off to his first day of taking care of his son.

This made Tim very nervous. He had not been right up front with Jill about why he didn't want to be left alone with Brad. He had never been alone with a baby in his life. They were fragile and he wasn't sure if he could handle Brad if he cried or did need a diaper change.

That day Tim went to the fence and met with his friend and neighbor Wilson. He confided in Wilson his worries. "I am so nervous. What if I do something wrong? I've never taken care of a baby before." Tim told him.

Wilson could understand Tim being nervous, but Brad was now six months old and it was time that Jill got a day away from caring for the baby. He looked at Tim and told him "Everything will be all right. Just use your head and be patient. Remember that when Jill brought Brad home she had never been left with a baby to care for either. You are a sensible man you are a good father, and everything will be all right."

Tim went back inside the house and looked at the sleeping baby in his carriage. He had just sat down and turned on the television when he heard Brad stir. He prayed that the baby wouldn't wake up, but soon he heard the stirring and then the cries. For just a moment he thought of turning up the television, but that was not right.

He leaned over and tried talking to the baby. That didn't work. So, now it was time for him to make a bottle. He took one of the bottles out of their refrigerator and put it in hot water. 'Now let me see, how long am I supposed to boil this, or put it in hot water?' he thought to himself.

When Tim thought that the bottle should be ready he took it out of the pan. He was thinking about giving it right to Brad, but he remembered that Jill always put some milk on her wrist. He wondered why she did that . So he did that and nearly jumped he burned himself. As he jumped up and down from the burns on his arm he thought to himself 'that's why she does this.'

Now Brad was no longer crying just a little he was now screaming. Tim was trying to cool the bottle down and at the same time he was rocking the carriage trying to calm Brad down. Finally the bottle was the right temperature and he picked Brad up. He sat on the couch and tried to feed him. But, Brad didn't seem interested in eating.

So Tim tried to burp him. He patted him on the back and put a diaper on his shoulder. But, Brad was really crying. That is when Tim decided against his better wishes to check Brad's diaper. Wrong decision. The tiny little baby who only weighed eleven or twelve pounds had done a number in his diaper that his father could appreciate.

The last thing that Tim wanted to do was to change that diaper, but he had to do it. He took one of his masks that he used for his construction worker and then looked for some kind of gloves. There was nothing that he could use and change a diaper, so he put a pair of socks on his hands. He brought Brad up to his room and put him on the changing table.

As Tim reached to grab a diaper Brad sat up. He nearly rolled off the changing table. Tim picked him back up and looked around for everything that he was going to need to change the diaper. He could feel that the diaper was not the only thing wet. Brad's outer pants were wet too. He took the wipes out and took the diaper off.

Now how to put the diaper on. The pampers were supposed to be easy. But he ripped three different tapes from three different diapers before he managed to get a diaper on. Somehow or another the diaper didn't look like the one that Jill had put on Brad just before she left. But, he was not good at it . Jill would just have to be understanding.

Now Tim had the baby but he forgot the pants. He picked up Brad and went tot his bureau. He finally found a pair of pants that he could put on him. He had trouble snapping them as Brad kept moving around. Tim glanced at his watch and it was almost an hour since he had started to change his son.

Tim finally had the baby changed. He looked around the room. There was a little baby powder on the floor and the changing table, but Brad was changed. As Tim walked out the bedroom door he knew Jill would be upset. 'I'll clean it before she gets home' he thought to himself.

Now Brad was trying to suck on the diaper that Tim still had on his shoulder and he knew that he must be getting hungry. So back to the stove Tim went and started to heat another bottle. This was no easy task trying to hold onto a moving baby and heat something on the stove, but when he had gone to put Brad in the carriage Tim found that Brad had gone through onto the sheets and blankets and everything needed changing.

So, now Tim put Brad into the playpen with the bottle, so that he could change the carriage. But Brad wasn't very good at holding his bottle and he kept dropping it. He would cry and Tim would go over talk to him and put the bottle back in his mouth.

Tim really did plan on picking up, but Jill showed up. As Jill walked in the door Tim tried to warn her, but it was too late. She walked into the living room and cringed. As she looked into the absolute disaster of her kitchen, she could have cried. But, Brad was sleeping in the playpen and appeared to be all right, even though his pants were on backwards, so she said nothing.

Tim took a deep breath and started to work on picking up a little. But then Jill went upstairs and her yell would have woken the dead up. Tim guessed that the baby's room was worse than he had thought.

Jill remembered that day, she always had wondered how Tim had managed to get baby powder on the ceiling. But, he had changed his first diaper and now she knew he could do it. He would be a big help around the house from now on she vowed.


	3. Chapter 3

He shookJill sat her desk and reflected on all of the good times that she and Tim had shared through the years. She thought about the show and how Tim had gotten started on television.

Tim was always a show off. He was good at acting and was a loveable person. After many attempts at being recognized as a possible host for a Home Improvement show, he had finally been accepted to do a weekly radio show.

Doing things on the radio was a little more difficult. The people could not see what he was doing. Each and every week someone would call in and ask questions about a home improvement that they were attempting to do on their own. Tim would listen to the problem and try to come up with a solution. The money was poor but his audience had grown and there were many times when he no longer had the time to answer all of the people's questions.

He was known for his remarks that were sometimes crude. He was also known to have an attitude toward women and their use of tools. This angered some of his audience, but intrigued others. As the months went by he was asked to do the show two times a week.

It was after one of the shows that Tim received a call from a man representing Binford Tools. The tool company had a thought about sponsoring a tool program called Tool Time and they were interested in hiring Tim as the main character.

This was Tim's real shot at being a well known celebrity. They offered him his own shoe and he would even have an assistant. His name was Al Borland. Tim had met Al before and knew him to be a talented man with tools. His sense of humor was very dry unlike Tim's. But he was good at his job and this was his big chance so he signed on for six shows.

In the television business nothing is ever guaranteed to be around forever, and six shows was a good start. Tim would keep his radio job for the time being and see where the television show went.

Tim had never been the star of a television show before and as he came into the studio, he was mesmerized by the lights. He also had to put on make up of all things. A man with make up was not a manly man or so he thought. The rehearsals were grueling and even though the show was only once a week for one hour, Tim found himself in the studio for many more than forty hours.

Each scene had to be rehearsed over and over. The cameras had to be set up perfectly and each and every prop had to be measured and completed before the day of the show. Everything was already scripted and Tim was expected for the most part to stay within the lines of the dialogue.

Every night Tim came home exhausted. But Jill and his son Brad were there to cheer him on. Even though Brad was just beginning to take his first few steps he as an inspiration to his father. Each night he went over the script with Jill and finally it was time for the show to come on the television.

As Tim looked out at the people who were there for the first taping, he groaned. There were only ten people in the audience. He had hoped that more people would come because of the radio show. But he held his head up high.

The first show was showing someone how to install a new shower head. Now Tim had done this many times, and most of the time with some success. But he had never done it in front of an audience and on television. He was clumsy as a rule, but with all the distractions of the evening he was really clumsy. If it hadn't been for Al the whole studio probably would have been flooded.

With all the people watching Tim had failed to tighten the shower head and sure enough when they went to turn on the water the nozzle flew off and hit Tim in the corner of the head. Water was everywhere and Tim felt like a drowned man. Al had quickly shut off the water and Tim had placed the shower head back on this time being very careful to make sure that it was tight.

Tim tried to make light of what had just happened and said "Like I said making sure that the screws are very tight is important. This made everyone in the audience laugh and by the end of the show Tim was finally beginning to feel a little more relaxed.

But he had botched the whole show and he was sure that Binford Tools would not want him back. When the six shows were done he was sure that he was to be done Tim shook hands with everyone on the show and thanked them and then went home to his Jill.

Jill had been at home anxiously watching the first show starring her husband. Tim was a good man, but he was accident prone. This night, however, he had been especially clumsy. He had been a nervous wreck, but people had thought he was acting. It had been genuinely funny and even she had found herself laughing as the show had gone on.

Tim came home thinking that the show had been a flop, but he had been wrong. For the next few weeks their phone rang and rang until Jill thought that it was going to fall of the hook. For every call that they got where the person didn't like the show, there were twenty calls saying how they loved it.

Tim did make it with the tool time show and it aired every week for over twenty-five years. Tim and Tool Time became one and the same.


	4. Chapter 4

When a person is married for over thirty five years to the same person there are the ups and downs in all relationships. Tim was not always the easiest man to get along with and Jill remembered one time that she went home to her parents for a week.

Brad was still a baby and Jill and Tim were in the middle of building their home. Jill was working to help ends meet and Tim was working a lot of overtime. The combination made both of them both tired and miserable.

Daycare had always been a problem, as Jill was fussy as to who was to watch her baby and another babysitter had been a no show. Tim had a friend at work whose girl friend had a daughter. He left little Brad with the girl, who was just fourteen. First of all fourteen was a very young age to take care of a young baby and he had never thought of that.

Well it turned out that the girl invited all of her friends over and they had a party. When Jill walked in the front door, she found that the girl and her friends had gotten into the liquor cabinet and from the smell inside of the home they had been also smoking some marijuana.

Jill had a fit and called the police. These people had nearly destroyed her home, and although Brad was fine, she had it. Most of the kids in the house were young teenagers and she knew that because the house was hers if anything happened she could be held responsible. Some of the kids had cars and had intentions of driving even though they were under the influence of both drugs and alchohol.

The police had come and arrested the babysitter her boyfriend and two of their friends. Many of the kids had to give the police their name and their parents were going to be contacted.

When Tim got home later that evening, he found Jill still busy trying to clean up the place. She found that a dish that had belonged to her grandmother had been smashed and she was crying. Her grandmother had meant a lot to her and when she had died she had taken the dish as a memory.

Tim came in not knowing anything about what had happened and Jill told him. She was angry, the house was wrecked, her dish was broken, and a young girl had a party at their house. But she could not believe Tim's reaction. "You called the police on them? Why would you do such an idiotic thing as that ? I would have talked to Carrie's parents and they would have made it good."

Jill was now getting angrier at Tim than at the kids "They were smoking pot they wrecked the house drank our booze, and they were all underage. I thought that they shouldn't be driving. They wouldn't give me their names, that is most of them. Hey wait a minute why should I be defending myself? Aren't you even concerned that your eighteen month old baby was in the house with these kids?"

Tim wasn't really listening. Carrie's father Bill was one of his bosses at work and he was going to be in trouble when he went to work on Monday. "I hope you realize that your stupid response is probably going to get me fired. What an idiot." he had muttered.

Jill was very angry then and she said "You take that back. You are the not so bright one that would allow your son to be put in such danger. And then you go and take his side?"

Tim knew that Jill was losing his temper and he said "All I mean is that you had no right to call the police."

"I had no right? Why do I have to ask your permission to protect my family? What is it as long as the men scratch their butts and burp and groan they can do anything and so can their kids?"

Tim just stood there and stared at Jill. He could not believe what she had just said. "I guess there is no talking to you when you are in one of your moods. I am going down to the garage."

By this time Jill knew that she was going to need to take a stand. She called her mother and packed a bag for her and the baby. When Tim came up two hours later to apologize she and the baby were gone.

At first Tim thought that maybe Jill had just gone to the store or something, but then he saw that many of her things and the babies were gone too. He looked over and saw a note. The note had been a simple note, but the note had been the most devastating note that he had ever read. It said Tim I have taken Brad and gone to stay with my mother for a while. Jill.

This was indeed their first real fight, and he knew that if he didn't do something right away Jill and he could end up in a divorce or something. Tim had seen it happen too many times. As he sat alone in the apartment he looked around. Jill had been right, the place was trashed even now. Two of the shades had been broken and the door knob on the bathroom door was now hanging. The rugs were filthy where someone had dropped a drink on it.

Tim sat there and thought. He was going to have to clean this mess up before he could even think about calling Jill. He decided that the best thing to do was to call Bill.

Bill Downs had been at home when he had gotten the call from the police. His daughter Carrie was supposed to be babysitting at Tim Taylor's house. What were the police talking about? She was at a party and drunk. He had picked his daughter up and had found that she had a party at the Taylor house and that there were drugs and drinks there. Many of her friends were there and they were being charged with disorderly conduct for now.

At first Bill had been mad at the Taylors for calling the police. But as he had heard the story he knew that his daughter had done something foolish and dangerous. She had been in charge of a little baby and had her friends come over and drink. Something could have happened to the baby. The police said that the baby had been safe but Carrie had given them a hard time and they had arrested her. As he had put his daughter to bed the phone rang.

The last person that Bill had wanted to hear from was Tim Taylor, but it was him on the other line. Tim wanted him to come to his house and see the damage that had been done by his daughter and her friends. Bill's wife Donna shook her head no, but he wanted to see for himself. He agreed to go over.

When Bill arrived at the house, he could not believe the condition that he saw. There were stains all over the carpet and the furniture. There were broken plates, bottles and marijuana joints hidden under things. A dish was broken and as Bill looked around he told Tim: "Don't do anything more tomorrow morning Carrie is coming here and she is going to clean this place up. She knows who was here and if she wants to get them to help her it is fine. Where's Jill?"

Tim looked down and told him "We had a fight because I didn't think that she should have called the police and she went home to her mothers"

Bill shook his head and said "You are still newlyweds, you will learn. Never challenge a mother who thinks that her child has been put in danger. We will clean this place up and then you can call Jill and set things straight."

Tim spent the night alone for the first time in a long time. The sounds of the house kept him up and he missed Jill and the baby. Tomorrow things would be better he hoped.

Bright and early at eight the next morning Carrie and her mother came over to the Taylor house. Sandy, one of Carrie's friends came over too and between the three of them they had the house clean in about three hours. Donna could not believe the mess and when she had gone out to the rubbish and saw all the cleaning that someone had already done she could have slapped her kid. But, the house was now ready and Carrie was going to be grounded for the next month, as was her friend Sandy.

Tim called Jill and told her what he had done. "The house is all set and the girls have been punished. Please come home. The house and I are very lonely. " he had told her.

Who could resist such a man? Jill and Brad went back home and it was off to more adventures.


	5. Chapter 5

Life at the Taylor house was good in more ways than one. Jill loved her husband Tim and they had a baby who was just getting ready to turn six months old. Brad was at one of the cutest ages where he could now sit up and he would smile whenever he saw his mommy or daddy. He was starting to hold his own bottle too.

Jill and Tim had been taking precautions and thought that they would want to have another baby in another couple of years. But then Jill got what she thought was the flu. The weeks went by and she also had missed her period. She was beginning to wonder if she and Tim had not been careful enough.

Jill paced back and forth in the half built house, with Brad who was now teething and feeling terrible. As she paced back and forth she thought of what she was going to do if she was pregnant. She and Tim had little money and the house was a disaster. There was many more months of building that needed to be done before the house was completed.

But she had to go to the drug store and find out. She packed up Brad and headed out. The test looked quite simple and as she waited for the results she really paced back and forth. She certainly was not thinking about having an abortion, she and Tim would survive another mouth to feed of that she was sure.

The package said to wait ten minutes and then check. The ten minute wait seemed almost like an eternity to Jill. But finally the timer went off and she went into the bathroom to check out the results. The line was positive, she was going to have a baby. From her calendar Jill thought that the baby would be due sometime in the early part of February. 'Now to tell Tim.' she worried about what he would say.

That evening Jill made Tim one of his favorite meals and as Brad sat there in his high chair playing with his food more than eating it Tim watched his wife. He could tell that she had something on her mind from the way that she was acting. He hoped that she hadn't wrecked the car or something. But, no he knew that the car was fine, because when he had gotten home he found the car in the driveway. 'So, what was wrong?' he wondered to himself.

As the two of them ate their dinner Jill said "Tim , I have something to tell you. I hope that you are as happy as I am when I tell you." Jill looked at Tim with wishful eyes. She really hoped that he would want this baby as much as she did.

Tim looked up from his plate and thought to himself " oh oh" This was going to be a big problem. But he said "What happened today?"

Jill looked at him and told him "I went to the drug store today and picked up a home pregnancy test. Tim I am pregnant."

Tim was totally ready for a new scratch on the car, or a new dress, but a baby. 'This was great he wanted to have a large family. Tim jumped up from his chair and gave Jill a passionate kiss. He couldn't wait for another child and he hoped that Brad was going to have a little brother.

Jill smiled up at her husband and said "I am so glad that you want this baby. I want it too."

Having two babies very close together does have it's advantages. Jill had not given away much of Brad's baby things and the basinet would be ready with just a thorough cleaning. The other bedrooms were not done and Brad and the baby might have to share a room for a while, but that wasn't bad' she thought to herself.

Tim was thinking of how he had to get going on the new baby's room. He did not want Brad to have to share his room with the new baby. He remembered the months that it had taken Brad to start sleeping through the night and he didn't want two babies crying in the night. He would start on the bedrooms this weekend and Tim did have it ready for the baby's birth.

Ultrasounds were very new and the nurse even if she knew the sex of the baby would not tell you. So, Jill and Tim had to wait until the birth to find out what they were having. But they did have a picture of the baby given to them. Jill went home and started a new baby album like she had done for Brad. Tim and Jill coul dnot wait for the big day.

This pregnancy was not like the one with Brad. Jill was sick on and off the entire nine months and she held the baby to the side more than to the front as she had done with Brad. Everyone guaranteed she was going to have a girl. Jill thought about putting pink paint on the walls but decided to go with yellow just in case it ws a boy.

Three weeks before the baby was born Jill had some spotting and was told to take it very easy. The doctor wanted her to have a healthy baby and right now the baby was still a little small. So Jill's sister came over and stayed with Tim and Jill and helped take care of the two children Brad and Tim.

Jill was due to have the baby on February fourteenth valentines day but the baby decided otherwise. Early in the morning of February eighth Randy was born. He was a little smaller than Brad, but at six pounds ten ounces he was a healthy bouncing baby boy.

Tim came into the room that afternoon with balloons and flowers for Jill and the baby. Her sister was carrying Brad and took the first family picture of the four of them. Neither Tim or Jill or anyone in either of their families could have been happier.


	6. Chapter 6

Jill had been at her desk reflecting on her life with the three boys and Tim. She missed their devilish deeds and how they used to depend on her for nearly everything. She was thinking about the day she had gone shopping for her first new car.

Tim realized that now the family was growing Jill needed a car that she could use while he was at work. Daycare had not made any sense for the family. It was expensive and non dependable. With the hours that Tim worked it was impossible for her to find a job. They had agreed that she would be a stay at home mom for at least the first few years.

Buying a car presented a dilemma in the family. Jill had not had her license as long as Tim and her insurance was going to be high. Also they did not have that much money in the bank and could not afford a car loan. Tim wanted something safe for his wife and children, but it was going to have to be cheap or they could not afford ti.

It had never crossed Tim's mind that Jill was thinking that she would keep the family car and the new car was going to be Tim's. Tim was under the impression that the second car was going to be hers. Tim could be selfish sometimes and when he found himself looking for a car for Jill he was less than generous then he would have been if he knew the car was for him.

Tim had a friend that sold used cars and went over to his used car lot. There wasn't much to offer for sale for the thousand dollars that Tim had,but he was shown an older model car that didn't have too much bondo on it and Tim bought the car.

Jill had been planning on going with her husband when he went car shopping, and when Tim came in that night and told her the news that he had found her a car and purchased it, she was a little upset. But the car was Tim's and he knew what he wanted.

When they went to Jimbo's car Lot. Jill knew that the car must have been a gem. Tim's friend Jim was not the most honest man on the block and she hoped that Tim had checked the car out thoroughly . As she pulled in she saw an old car with rust everywhere. There was more rust on the car than there was metal and it had a big sign on it saying sold . She said a silent prayer that this wasn't the car that Tim had bought.

But Jim came out and congratulated her on her new car. As he banged on the hood to tell her the car was a solid deal the horn went on and stuck. It was quite comical to watch the two men open the hood and pull the plug off the horn. It blared loud and clear.

Jill shook her head. "Well, this is quite a car, at least the horn works."

Brad and Randy had both turned their heads to the sound of the horn and Brad had laughed. At just a year and a half old he knew what a junker the car was. At less than six months old Randy knew something was wrong.

Jill pointed at the car and said "I hope that you are happy with the car you are going to be driving."

Tim turned and looked at her in a panic. "Oh no this is your car Jill."

Jill couldn't help but laugh "I am not driving that piece of junk anywhere, but to the junkyard. You bought the car without talking to me. The car is yours and I hope that you will be happy with it. With that Jill left the used car lot in Tim's car and took her and the boys home.

Tim could not believe what had happened. He certainly did not want this car. He couldn't drive it to work. He would be the laughing stock of work and among his friends. He turned to Jim and said "I am sorry, she doesn't want the car."

Jim turned to Tim and said "A deal is a deal Tim. You have paid for the car and I gave you a bill of sale. You will have to sell the car yourself if you don't want it." he told him.

As Tim drove the car down the road he bickered with himself. 'Now what am I supposed to do with this piece of junk?' he thought. As he looked around the car once again, he noticed that the windows didn't have knobs in the back. As he tried to open the passenger door it stuck and that needed work.

Tim worked on that car for two weeks before he dared to take it out for a drive. Jill had her moments when she felt sorry for him. Those moments when she could hear him drop something on his hand his foot his head, all parts of his anatomy.

After fixing the inside of the car the horn the brakes, the front end and doing a lot of body work, the car was starting to look all right. But as Tim drove the car down the road he lost power and had to hobble the car back to the garage once again.

This time it was major engine work that needed to be done. Tim called his brother and the two of them worked on the car for another week. Finally the car was ready and Tim took it to work. He parked the car next to the studio the unload some things. The next thing he knew the car was struck by a delivery truck. Tim was parked illegally and therefore he was at fault.

Tim nearly cried as he watched his car being towed from the scene. There was nothing left of the car barely. He had no insurance except for liability. He now found himself with no car, no ride and he was out over one thousand dollars and three weeks of hard work.

As Tim called Jill to come and get him at work to his shock Jill said nothing. She just picked him up and when Tim told her what happened she just shook her head. She was used to the trouble that Tim was always getting himself into. But, one thing she was sure of was the fact that the next car they bought she would have something to say about what car they bought.


	7. Chapter 8

"Life with Tim Taylor was a life full of adventure. He was a man's man, but Jill had loved him with all of her heart. They had raised three boys and had a happy life.

Jill heard the doorbell and answered the door. It was her son Brad. He was the oldest of her boys and he had memories before they had their youngest child Mark. He had been just four when he was born and he remembered the day well.

As Brad took his seat in the living room he reflected on the day that he was to become the big brother to the little squirt Mark. "I was young and didn't understand everything, but I was old enough to know that there was something big happening at the house.

Brad looked at his mother and smiled. "I remember I was downstairs playing with some of my matchbox cars when you and dad came downstairs. You told me that you were going to be going to the hospital later that day to have a baby. Your mom was coming over to take care of me and Randy and neither one of us could wait for her to come. Grandma always spoiled us. She told us not to tell you, though. It was our little secret."

Jill remembered how her mother used to spoil all of her boys. She would treat them very well and she was thankful for the help that she had given to her and Tim when they had first been married.

"That day is still with me in bits and pieces. I was very young and not too interested in sharing my life with another boy. Randy was a pain in the neck to me sometimes and another baby did not sound like much fun to me. I remember that I wanted to get a drink and you went to the refrigerator to get me something, when you wet your pants. I laughed because I thought that you needed a diaper."

Jill laughed to herself. She had indeed been at the refrigerator when her water had broken. She had yelled to Tim as her labor pains started getting very hard and she could no longer stand them without holding onto something. She had told Tim that they were going to need to head right to the hospital. As he got the car started she had known that she was in deep trouble. She was wanting to push and the pains were coming so fast she could no longer walk..

Tim had panicked and managed to get her to the couch. She had laid there while he had called an ambulance. Tim had not known what to do and had sent the boys into their rooms, or so he thought. But the trouble was Brad had learned to open his gate. Somewhere Tim had learned that he was supposed to boil water and with the loud clanging of the pans he had put a pot on to boil.

Jill in the meantime had managed to take off her pants and put a blanket around her. She could barely stand the pain and the knock on the door came . It was the paramedics and they were there to help her. As Jill looked up she saw her two boys coming down the stairs. The two boys were watching as the paramedics went over to their mommy and listened.

Tim had the boys by the hands and watched as the paramedics helped Jill deliver Mark. He had come in less than two hours of labor and Jill had not had the time to get to the hospital.

Brad smiled at his mother and said "I remember all of a sudden there was a baby crying and when dad let me look, there was a baby lying on yohis name is belly. He was all covered in what looked like cottage cheese and a little blood. I was scared, but you smiled and told me '

"Randy and I had both watched as the paramedics had put you in the ambulance that day along with our new brother Mark. We thought that you would be ok, you know. Remember our cat had kittens a couple of weeks before? Randy and I thought that was what having a baby was going to be like and had not been that impressed with the baby. "

Jill laughed as Brad told her what he and Randy had been thinking when they had seen Mark being born. She had always worried that it might have affected them for the rest of their lives, but like all children they took things at face value at that age.

"MY next memory of that day is Grandma coming over and us eating ice cream. I remember going to the hospital and seeing you and Mark and dad. Mark was the same baby that we had seen born and Randy and I were not that impressed. He couldn't do anything but cry and wet his pants."

Jill remembered her two boys and when they had come to the hospital. She had been so excited to show them their new brother, but neither one of them had been interested in him at all. It had been all that she could do to get them to take a picture of them with the baby and her and Tim. She had thought that they might have been interested, but they hadn't been.

Brad smiled at his mother. She looked mostly the same as she had when he was a kid. She was a nice looking lady and had been a good grandmother to his two children and to both Randy and Mark's kids too. She had loved his father and he had loved her. Life had always been a happy life at the Taylor house. As Brad left that day for his own home he gave his mother a hug and kiss and told her "Thank you for being you mom."

Jill sat back and smiled. Her boys had turned out all right and she was proud of all three of them.


	8. Chapter 9

Being the mother of a young boy can keep her very busy, but Jill was the mother of three happy healthy boys and life was never dull. As she sat at her desk and reflected on her life with Tim and the boys she thought of Brad and the first day of school. He was the oldest and in 1986 it was time for him to start school.

Brad was not interested in going to school. He wanted to stay home and either play with his brothers or do something with his dad. Brad was starting to get quite interested in cars and such and school was going to be boring. His dad had not helped with the matter either. Whenever Jill tried to approach the subject he just groaned and told Brad that everything would be all right.

But, it was time for him to get ready. He was ready physically and mentally. Brad was a bright child and with Jill as his mother he had been taught all of the basic necessities for school. She hoped that he had also learned the right manners. He could tie his shoes button his own buttons and knew all of his colors, counting and could read simple words.

Now it was time for school shopping. Going shopping with three boys under the age of six required careful planning and the patience of a saint. Jill dreaded the time, but knew that she was going to need to go. It was now the middle of August and school started at the end of the month. As she called to the boys to come downstairs she nearly cried out. They were all dirty and Brad's shirt was now ripped.

It had seemed that they had been wrestling upstairs and poor Mark had gotten the worst of it. The two boys were older and always were picking on him. Mark was a little more of a softer child. He was not girlish but he was not rough and tough like Randy and Brad. She had turned to the boys and made them go back upstairs and change.

They all groaned as they saw that their mother was following them up the stairs behind them. She stood there and chose out their clothes. She supervised each boy until they were dressed and ready to head to the mall.

Jill thought of how each of her boys would ride in the backseat of the car without any seatbelts and how they would squabble between themselves all the way to the mall. Despite her best efforts all three of them had to be straightened out before they entered the mall once again.

That was when the real battle began. As far as clothes were concerned Brad could care less what he had. He didn't want to try on any clothes and fussed. As Jill attempted to get him to try on clothes Randy was looking through the clothes on his own . Jill was keeping an eye on Brad who was in the dressing room as she corrected Randy and tried to straighten the table out once again.

Finally Brad his clothes that he would need. Then there was the shoes and the backpack. Mark had talked her into buying them each a couple of matchbox cars and Jill needed a break before coming home.

They went to the food court where the food was barely edible, but they all got a chance to sit down and get something to eat. Jill watched her boiys who were now growing up and thought of how they would soon all be going to school. She was going to miss these times and knew that the boys would soon have their own friends and be doing things on their own.

Then Randy and Brad were fighting again. Without warning they were making a scene there at the food court and Jill had to put a stop to that. As they all piled into the car, Jill was glad that they were going to be in the safety of their home soon.

It was three days before the start of school and Brad now needed to go to the barber shop. Tim was to take him. It was Saturday and school was to start on Tuesday and Jill did not want to wait until Monday when the lines would be long with everyone else going to school on the next day. But all day Tim has postponed the trip and it was now three in the afternoon. Jill went out once more finding her husband and Brad a greasy mess. She had lost her temper and made Brad go upstairs right then and wash up.

Tim and Brad had gone with a lot of grumbling to the barber shop. When Brad had come home he was finally ready for the big day. He was a cute boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. She let him chose what he wanted to wear for his first day of school.

Tuesday morning came early and Brad had not wanted to get up and Jill had to go get him three times. He showered with an argument and finally came down the stairs. He was ready for his first day. As he and his brothers ate their breakfast Jill smiled. This was the first day where the boys would be separated for the day and she was wondering how they would cope.

The three Taylor boys had always been together. It was a rare occasion that they were separated for as much as an hour. But, they were growing up fast and school was going to change their lives forever.

Jill had Brad by the hand as she had taken him into school that day. He had shook her hand off and walked over to his little cubby hole. He hung up his jacket waved to his mother and brothers and was on to his first day of school.

The house had been strangely quiet that day. Jill missed Brad and she could tell that Randy and Mark did too. Tim was at work, so he didn't know how quiet the house could be. At three that afternoon they all went to the school to get Brad. The boys were waiting to hear from their mother that it was time. This time they all went willingly. As Brad came out the schoolhouse door he ran to Jill and his brothers.

As they all walked back to the car he had lots of things to tell them. Life was good at the Taylor home once again and a new era had begun.


	9. Chapter 10

Never once had Jill allowed herself to think of anyone of her boys, but the children she had always wanted. What had happened had happened and when Mark was born she could not have been more thrilled.

She now had three young boys and Brad had now gone to school. Randy would be going the next year and then Mark would soon follow. She loved the time with the boys, but she wanted to go back to college and finish her degree. She had started to study psychology and decided to go back to college and work on psychology once again. The college was not far from the house and with Brad at school now, she thought it was time for her to start her studies too.

When Jill's mother had volunteered to come over and take care of the boys the two days a week that she would be going to classes Jill was thrilled.

Tim had never been overly supportive of her schooling and had wanted her to stay at home with the boys. Once the three boys went to school he thought she could go back but not now. He couldn't believe that his mother in law had volunteered to watch the children. Now he had no reason to argue against the class and he gave om reluctantly.

.As Jill proudly went to the college to enroll Tim had sat in his chair and just moaned. She was hurt that although she had encouraged him all of his crazy ideas and now he had a chance to return the favor and he was refusing. In fact he was sulking like a child. He did not even say good-bye to her when she left that evening. He had felt guilty about that after she left, but that was all.

Tim thought that the woman's place was in the home and thought that it was ridiculous, the Jill wanted to study psychology. It would take her years and the three boys kept her busy enough. He now had his own show on television and no longer were in need of money. He just couldn't understand why Jill insisted on going back to school.

Although, Tim was afraid that what he hoped would not be the way that things would turn out and he was right. At the end of the semester, he had hoped that Jill would give up on this college thing. But to his dismay she signed up for the next semester. This was not good, he had planned on Jill being home now. He tried to talk to her but got nowhere. She was not interested in anything that he had to say.

There were few places that Tim could go and talk about the problems that he and Jill were having. If he went over to one of his brothers, they might consider him a chicken. They all thought that women should be at home mothers. He thought that he would be teased by them and didn't want to have to listen to them. He wanted them to think that Tim was the ruler of the roost.

Tim went over to the fence one afternoon to speak to his trusted neighbor Wilson. Whenever he had a problem he could count on his neighbor to help him out withhit. As Tim went over to Wilson's fence he saw the man out in the backyard grilling some food. When Wilson heard Tim by the fence he turned around and said "Well howdy neighbor. What can I do for you today?"

Tim looked at the man and then at the ground and then told Wilson "Jill has signed up to take some more courses in college this semester. I thought that after the first semester she would give up but she didn't. I want her to stay at home and take care of the kids and the house. This business of her going out and taking college courses makes me mad. " Tim told him.

"Well Tim women nowadays want to do things on their own. Jill is smart and does not want to be held down by you. Tim, you need to give her some support. If you don't she might have to quit. But if she does quit she might never forgive you. This is something that she needs to do on her own." Wilson told him.

Tim looked down at his feet and gave the dirt a little kick. "I just wish that she could be happy taking care of the children. But you are right if I try to stop her now she will not ever let me forget what she has given up." Tim told him.

As Tim went into the house he saw Jill setting the table. He went over to her and told her. "You know that I wish that you would stay at home and be happy, but if you think that this career would really make life better for you, then I will support you." he told her.

Jill couldn't believe what Tim had sad. He was proud of her she was sure. This made it so that she was going to work extra hard on her work from now on. She said "Thank you Tim. Thank you for your support."

Jill did go on to get her degree. It took her a long time. But she got her degree and raised her children and nursed Tim through many of his disasters. She had been one of the lucky women that she knew. For all his complaining and declaring that women belonged in the home, he was her biggest support next to her three boys.

Tim would never admit to her or the boys but he was proud of his wife. She had worked long and hard at this degree. When she graduated many years later he had stood up and whistled along with the boys as she waked up on the stage and got her diploma. Tim was a proud man a proud man indeed.


	10. Chapter 11

One can imagine the times and life of a home with three young boys and a father who was prone to accidents. Tim was a good man but he was well known both at home at work for his awkwardness. Each and everyday his show Tool Time. Al was well known as the more logical partner and Tim as the one who was prone to accidents.

Jill could not help but remember the day that she had sat down to watch the show. Randy was still at home and had not gone to school yet and was sitting on the couch with his mother. Mark was taking a nap. This time of day was usually a time of quiet. Sometimes she got a good laugh at what happened on the live television show. More often than she cared to remember she was the brunt of many of Tim's jokes. Sometimes she had gotten angry, but most of the time she had let the words slide right off her shoulder.

This day Tim was giving a demonstration on how to use a rototiller. This rototiller that he was going to use was a very large one and unfortunately for Tim was much more powerful than he had thought. Out in the back he had been working on the machine hoping to make it faster and he was sure that he had succeeded.

The morning show had already gone wrong once and Jill was indeed nervous about what could happen if Tim had done any adjustments to the rototiller that he was going to be demonstrating. As the show had started Al had been demonstrating the use of a fire extinguisher trying to convince the audience that the new kitchen extinguisher was the best ever.

Tim had smiled and lit a small fire on the stove that had bene put on the stove that was on the stage. Tim had taken the kitchen extinguisher and without reading the instructions had turned the extinguisher the wrong way. He then had turned quickly sending pieces of burning paper off of the stove. If it hadn't been for Al Jill wasn't sure if there would have been a stage left. Tim had said "That is an example of how not to use a fire extinguisher. Read the instructions first." he warned the audience.

The audience had laughed and as they had shown the people as they watched and laughed you could see that they were talking among themselves about Tim. Jill was glad that Tim did not know that part. Tim was proud of his show and didn't want people laughing at him. He only wanted them to laugh with him not at him. Sometimes that wish was hard won as Tim was known for the accidents.

Jill remembered the first time that she heard one of the people in the supermarket remark about her husband. She had thought that Tim was one of the most talented home repairmen that she had ever seen. "He can goof around and act like he is actually hurt and then get down to business and do the work. Al makes a good show, too. The show is great I think it is the funniest show that I have ever seen."

At first Jill had been hurt by what she had heard, but that changed with time. She was proud of Tim and hoped every show that he would not make a mistake. That did not happen very often again.

Tim had been working on the rototiller in the back and had thought that it was ready. He had increased the power by over twenty-five percent. The machine was indeed hard to handle when it was at the original top speed and strength, but he was sure that he could handle it.

As the cameramen came out and set up all of their sights, Tim brought out the new machine. This demonstration was to be done outside in a real garden. The garden was a large garden and Tim was sure that he could demonstrate how fast this new machine could get one's garden ready.

The cameras rolling Tim started the rototiller. The machine was very loud and he did have his safety goggles on. The machine was hard to start because of all the changes that Tim had made, but ti did start. There was none of the sputtering that was usually heard when you first started the motor. Jill knew that Tim had worked on it outside. She prayed that nothing would happen this day, but she had been wrong.

Al watched as Tim got the machine going and when he put it into gear the machine and Tim took off at about twenty miles an hour. The machine was throwing dirt rocks and everything in its path. Tim found himself running at full speed behind a machine that he had no control of. As Tim tried desperately to shut the machine off a rock flew up in the air and hit him on the head.

Jill who was sitting on the couch speechless watched in horror as the machine went through the poor man's garden unattended. The machine went across the lawn and didn't stop until it crashed into the man's car. This was all on live television and Randy had laughed like she hadn't heard in a long time.

But Jill was worried 'where's Tim? Is he al right?' was all that she could think. The show ended with Al saying that the EMT's were working on Tim right now and that they thought he was going to be all right.

About an hour after this Jill had gotten a call Tim was in the emergency room once again. His frequent user card had been punched again. He had a slight concussion but would be all right.

As once more Jill piled her three boys (Brad had come home from school by this time) into her car she drove them to the hospital. Tim was there giving the nurses and doctors his autograph. He was a star once more. Tim indeed was fine and went back to work just a couple of days later. All he had to show was a bandage on his forehead.


	11. Chapter 12

Every day life at the Taylor household was full of life. No family could plan their life totally and Tim and Jill were no different from any other family. They were both from the 1950's generation and had been blessed with a good home and a good financial situation. But life cannot always go as planned and three boys later their lives were full and happy.

Jill thought of the adjustments that she and Tim had made. She had put her career and life on hold for her three children for the most part. Tim had always thought that the woman's place was in the home, but had accepted her going back to school.

But Brad was now in school and Randy would be following the next year. Brad was a smart child, but was a boy through and through. One day Jill thought of he was not on his best behavior.

As usual the boys were out on the baseball field arguing about the rules and regulations when a new boy had joined the school. He was taller and bigger than most of the boys and wanted to rule the roost. Brad had always been the leader of most of the kids and he took this hard. Brad had no time for patience with this young man .

One thing lead to another and before the teacher knew it the two boys were fighting. Brad was not one to back down and either was this new kid Monroe. To top it off the kid had a name like that 'Monroe of all things' he had told she made one of her many visits that were to come to the school principal's office.

When Jill had gotten to the office with her two other children in tow she had looked around to see Brad. Brad was in his macho man mode and had a ripped shirt and a nice big black eye that he held with pride.

That was when Jill had looked around for the other boy Monroe. The boy was about the same size as Brad and he too was sporting a shiner and a ripped shirt. But when his father came in to pick him up, Jill had seen real fear in the boys eyes. He had grabbed Monroe by the shoulder and yelled at him the whole way out to the car.

Jill felt sorry for the boy. First of all his parents had named him a name that they knew would result in him being picked on. Then when his father had come to the school he had not even spoken to the principal or her. The father had gone right after his son and taken the word of complete strangers that his son was the one that caused all of the trouble.

Jill took her three boys and headed out the door. She was no longer very angry at Brad. Boys would be boys and Brad was a real boy. He had seen what the father had done to the other boy. She hoped that he had understood what he had seen. Brad had never been yelled at like that in his life even though there had been times that he deserved it.

As they four of them left the school Brad looked up at his mom and said "I am very sorry for what I did. But he was trying to make the rules for the game and we started yelling at each other. The next thing I knew was that he hit me. For a big guy like that he was a real sissy. He hit like a girl." he had told her.

"Brad, you should never hit another person no matter how angry you get. To hit someone is to show that you are weak not that they are weak. A strong person walks away from his enemy. Remember that, all right?" Jill told him.

All the way home that day the boys were strangely quiet. Even Mark who was just a baby. Brad went upstairs without saying a word. Jill was downstairs making supper when Tim had come home that day. He had a long day and was tired.

That was when Jill had told him about the type of day she had. She told him how she had been called to the principal's office because Brad had gotten into a fight with the new boy Monroe.

"Monroe. No wonder Brad hit him. What kind of name is Monroe for a little boy who is just in kindergarten?" he asked her.

"I don't know but his father picked him up and he did not even speak to anyone. He just grabbed his kid by the shoulder and forced him out of the building. Tim, the father was screaming at his son and as he put him in the car it looked like he hit his son. It was terrible."

Tim had never been one for making his sons a sissy, but he did not like the idea of corporal punishment in front of others. A fast slap on the buttocks was all right with him, but not humiliation. This father had done more than that. "All right I will talk to Brad, I promise.

That night at supper Tim and Jill had found the boys very quiet. They each ate their meals, but Brad spent most of his time playing with it. After Randy and Mark had gone upstairs with Jill Tim took a look at Brad He said "I know that sometimes things happen, but fighting at school is never a good thing. You are there to learn and so isn't this other kid. Sometimes things are so bad at one's home that kids act out." he told him.

As Jill had come down the stairs she had heard what Brad had said "Dad I know that. I had no idea what kind of father he had. His father was yelling and screaming at him and I think he hit him. When we were in the principal's office he told me that he was going to get a beating when he got home. I thought he was just saying that, but now I know that it is true. I am so lucky that you and mom aren't like that."

Tim and Jill had both said "amen to that". They both had different views on some things, but one thing for sure. They loved their boys and never wanted to see them hurt or would they hurt them.


	12. Chapter 13

Randy had always been small for his age but had been born tough. He knew his way around cars from the age of three and was always working on something with his father.

Jill thought about the day that she had taken her sister to the dentist. She was having her wisdom teeth pulled and needed someone with her at the dental office to wait for her. She was not going to be able to drive after the minor surgery.

At first Jill had thought twice about leaving Tim in charge of the boys. It was not that she didn't trust him with the boys. But there were things that needed to be done on that day . Randy had a doctor's appointment at the same time that her sister had the dentist appointment. Tim had thought no sweat.

Tim had arrived at the doctor's office just on time. That meant that he hadn't filled out the forms and had to do that before he could see the doctor. Randy was in no mood to see the doctor as Brad had told him that he was going to be getting a zillion shots before he went to kindergarten and Mark was a toddler who was getting into everything.

Tim had soon discovered that two boys could be as bad as three and filling out a form for the doctor was not an easy chore. Tim had pulled Mark away from a lady three times as he had tried to climb into his lap and couldn't find Randy. He knew that he was hiding someplace, but he couldn't find him. as he carried the form and the pen and Mark while calling for Randy he found himself being watched. He was now a sight to see. He now had Mark by the suspenders and looked under the chair to find Randy hiding there.

As he put Mark down to grab Randy Mark ran off. So now Tim had Randy by the arm and was trying to get across the room to grab Mark who was now at the sand table. Why they put a sand table with water at a doctors office Tim would never know. Mark got his hand in the water of course, and then put his hands in the sand. That made a nice mess of mud.

Now Tim needed both hands so that he could clean Mark up. Randy took the moment to then get away from his father. As Tim got up from the sand table. {That wasn't easy) as the table was made for a three year old., he turned around to grab Randy. Randy was moving fast and as Tim reached his pants went down to his ankles.

Now here was Tim in the middle of the waiting room at the doctor's office with about a dozen women trying not to laugh at him. He tried to turn quickly and buckle his belt once again, but he knew that they had seen him. He was now beet red in the face and Randy was still trying to get away from him.

In desperation Tim grabbed Mark and handed him to the nearest lady "Hold him a sec please." he begged.

With the speed of a demon Tim caught Randy who was again hiding behind one of the machines. The kid was so small that Tim had all he could do to get near enough to pull him out. By this time Randy was crying. "Dad you are embarrassing me." he yelled.

Tim looked at him and said "Is that all?"

Randy had turned to say something to his dad when the nurse called out "Randy Taylor."

Before Randy had a chance to do anything Tim had grabbed his hand and started toward the examination room. He grabbed Mark and thanked the lady and tried to walk with some dignity into the doctor's office.

Tim could feel everyone of the nurse's eyes watching him and even heard a snicker. They all knew Jill and the boys and had always wondered what Tim the tool man was like in real life. He was just like the man on the show. He was funny as all get out.

But all in all Randy did get his shot and he was finally ready for his first day of school. Mark survived also and with all their shots and papers with the physical results Tim headed out back to the waiting room. He put the sweaters on the boys with some difficulty, and then headed out to the car.

Getting two young boys to sit in the car and behave was an act in itself. As he tried to buckle Mark in Randy was fiddling with the radio. He begged his dad for the keys and Tim made the mistake of giving in to him. As he shut the door next to Mark he heard the sound that all parents don't want to hear. It was the sound of all the doors locking to the car. Randy was sitting there with the keys in his hands smiling.

Tim tried smiling and then coaxing Randy to let him in, but all the boys did was laugh. Finally in desperation he had to call his brother to go to the house and get the extra set of keys. The worst part of it was that after he called his brother and he told Randy what he had done, Randy unlocked the door. Tim then had to sit in the car and wait for his brother because he had already left the house and gotten the keys.

The day had been a great one and Jill was tired when she got home. She found Tim and the boys sitting in the living room watching television. She asked Tim "How did things go?"

Tim smiled at Jill and said "Everything went well. Randy and Mark got their shots and here is the physical form all filled out." he told her.

Jill was impressed everything was done. "Did the boys give you any trouble she had asked.

Tim said "No nothing happened everything went as planned." He had then smiled at his boys who all breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until Jill went to the doctors office in a few months that she found out what had happened that day. It was indeed another adventure in the lives of the Taylor family.


	13. Chapter 14

Jill Taylor had been busy at her desk writing of her many memories of her life with Tim the tool man Taylor . She remembered with great fondness the things that she and the boys did together.

She remembered the day that Brad had wanted to learn to swim. He was now going to school and he could not swim very good. Tim was not a good swimmer either. Jill could swim but was not a professional at all. But, Brad was going to be going to summer camp and he didn't want to with the babies as he called them. No matter what Tim or Jill said there was no convincing Brad. What was was as he told them.

Brad was not going to go to camp if he had to go without learning to swim first. He was as stubborn as a mule sometimes and this was one of those times. God forbid one of his friends found out that he needed swim classes either. He said that he was embarrassed to let the other kids in his class that he had not learned to swim and they couldn't make him go to camp.

Tim and Jill talked about the predicament that they were in. But then Jill's mother offered to have Brad stay for the first two weeks of summer at her house. She had a pool and he could learn there. Well, that started a war among the boys. They all wanted to go to their grandmother and grandfather's house to learn how to swim.

The house where "Jill's parents lived was just a half an hour ride from Tim and Jill's house and it was decided that perhaps all the boys could go with Jill . Brad was not scheduled for camp for another four weeks. He could paddle around somewhat and Jill and her mother were sure that they could teach him how to swim good enough so that he would be allowed in the deep end of the pool.

But getting three lively boys ready for a swim in a pool is a chore on it's own. Oh the boys were good boys for the most part, but when there was something that needed to be done, they were of no help to their mother at all. Jill told the boys to get their swim suits. As they did they needed goggles so that they could see under the water and Mark needed a life jacket because he could not touch the bottom of the pool.

Each one of them were so excited and they were all talking at once as Jill put them in the car. The ride was loud and the boys got into a fight over something silly and Jill had to pull to the side of the road to pull them apart. Unfortunately for Mark he was the youngest and was usually the brunt of Brad and Randy's jokes.

As they each got into their suits and climbed into the pool Jill stood there so that if anything happened she could be right over to one of the boys. Jill and her mother stayed in the pool the entire time that they boys were in there.

Then came the big day for Brad. It was the first day of camp and if he wanted to use the slide he had to pass the swim test. As Jill watched Brad waiting his turn nervously she gave him an encouraging smile. As the swim teacher called Brad's name Jill watched him as he entered the water and swam right up to her and around her and back. He did not stop or hesitate once. He smiled as he was told that he was on the second team and that the slide was one of the things that the kids could do who made the second team. He smiled broadly as he went with his group that day.

Jill thought of her three boys and what good swimmers they had turned out to be. Mark was even on the high school swim team and won many medals. She was glad that they had learned to swim on that hot summer vacation.

Brad had seen on television that the best thing for him to do was to learn how to breathe right. He blew bubbles and turned his head to the side like he had seen the swimmers at the olympics last summer. Randy and Mark followed suit and soon all three boys were doing better at it.

Brad was having a hard time swimming and getting anywhere.. But Jill's mother held his back and showed him how to arch it and soon he was swimming a few feet before standing. He was not ready for the deep end, but he could swim about five feet by the end of the day.

Each day Jill took the boys to her mother's house and everyday they got better. Brad was still having a tough time of it. But to her amazement Mark was very comfortable in the water and was not needing his life jacket anymore. He now was wearing two bubbles in the water and was swimming across the pool without stopping.

Brad was very upset to see his baby brother swimming better than he was and complained loudly about it. Mark was only two years old and he could swim better than him. Not to mention Randy who always could swim better than him. He was falling further and further behind his brothers.

Jill did her best to encourage Brad and by the end of the three weeks Brad was swimming. He now could easily swim across the entire pool without stopping and had even made the length of the pool the day before camp started.

Jill was proud of her boys. She always was proud of them. But that summer her boys all became swimmers. Mark continued improving and by the end of the summer was swimming short distances with no bubbles.


	14. Chapter 15

Summer had been a challenging time for the members of the Taylor family. Brad had gone to summer camp for his first time and learned to swim, but August was here and it was time for Randy to go to school.

As Jill went to the class that the school held for all new students to make sure the student was ready for school. she had realized how small Randy was for his age. He had always been the smallest of her boys and even Mark was starting to catch up with him. But, she and Tim had always thought that he would catch up later.

Randy was ready and she knew it . He hopped on one foot, threw a bean bag and recited his abc's and all kinds of things. He was indeed ready for school and he was bummed. Randy thought that he might get another year of freedom because of his height, but the teacher had told him that she would see him next year.

So now it was time for the boys to go shopping once again. Jill had plans to take the boys on Wednesday of the following week. She did not look forward to the shopping. Last year had been a disaster and now she had two boys to go shopping for.

But fate was to step in and Jill could not do the shopping that year. Jill was going down the stairs and slipped on the carpet that Tim had been promising to tack down and fell. She broke her ankle and could not walk.

Taking care of three young boys was a trying ordeal without a broken ankle, but with a broken ankle it was near to impossible. She learned to grab them by her cane as they went by. Her boys were good and even helped her by getting things for her. Her sister came over everyday to check on her, but was in no condition to take all three boys shopping.

Tim had heard the hints. He had tried to ignore everyone, but finally on the day that Jill had been planning on taking the boys to the mall he headed out the door with all three of them in tow.

Jill tried to warn him not to let the boys take advantage of him but he brushed them off. "I will get everything done in half the time, you watch." he had told her as he walked out the door.

The first sign of trouble that Tim had was when the boys convinced him that the best place to park was next to the toys r us store. "Dad it is right next to the shop that mom always gets most of our clothes from." Brad and Randy had told him.

As they entered the store (that they had told Tim was the fastest way to the clothing store) the boys pulled away from Tim and went right over to some of their favorite trucks. After several minutes of trying to find them and finally giving in to giving each of them one small toy Tim and the boys were on their way out the door. Tim was now sixty dollars in the hole and had not bought one thing for school. The boys didn't like the backpacks that were at the store, they wanted their backpacks to come from a sporting goods store. "They're so cheap here Dad they don't hold up." Brad had said.

Buying clothes was a nightmare in the first degree. Randy and Brad wanted nothing but the better names. "We don't want to dress like a couple of geeks." Randy had said. Unfortunately, the boys clothes were in two different sections of the store also. Three hours had passed and they each only had two outfits and no sweaters or jackets. The boys didn't like the clothes at the store that they always went to.

After Mark got sick from eating too much at the peanut store and Randy and Brad had cost him ten more dollars at the pretzel shop where they insisted on having a smoothie it was back to shopping.

The sneakers didn't fit or were ugly and six stores later Brad and Randy ended up getting their new sneakers at the first store. The backpacks were finally bought and so were the jackets. The time was now eight at night and Tim and the boys were exhausted. Tim finally came home and the boys showed Jill what they had bought. The clothes were not what she would have bought at all and the coats were not oh she wasn't happy but she smiled and thanked Tim.

"So how much did this little fiasco cost? Last year for Brad alone I spent almost one hundred dollars at the mall that day. Remember? You said that you were going to save us a ton of money." Jill had challenged him.

Tim had looked down and said "Well prices have gone up and there are two boys to buy for now." he told her.

Jill knew that she had him worried and she knew her boys. She hadn't missed the bags from toys r us and the backpacks from the sports store "How much Tim?"

"Um a little over three hundred dollars." Tim told her and then winced.

Jill had laughed she knew her boys and they must have had a great time with their father. But, how did they manage to get three hundred dollars from him.

Randy indeed did go to school that year. He was one of the smallest in the class but had the wildest sneakers and the best backpack. This left just one more of the boys at home. Mark would not go to school for a while and Jill was going to enjoy the quiet during the day.

As Jill sat back in her chair she had tears in her eyes. She sometimes wished that her little boys were still in kindergarten and that they would be coming through the door after doing something with their dad. But time goes by.


	15. Chapter 16

When a family with three lively boys lives in a neighborhood, the neighbors either love them or wish they would leave. Jill and Tim were proud of their boys. Although they were at no time the type of boys that wore a halo, they were polite and considerate of others most of the time.

As Jill and Tim had built the home they had met their next door neighbor. He was to be known to them and the boys as just Wilson. He was an older man who had been all around the world. He was wise to many things and they came to depend on his observations as their lives took the many twists and turns.

The family was not a whole family, when they had started to make the plans to build the house. Tim and Jill had come over to look at the land and the property when they had seen the small neat house that was located next door. There was a six foot picket fence that would border their property.

Immediately Jill and Tim wanted the property. It was close to work and in a good section of town. The large picket fence that the man next door had placed on the boundary would provide them privacy as well. They had plans to have more children and a fenced in yard was a big plus.

Tim and Jill had been on the property checking where the best place was to place everything when they had heard a noise on the other side of the fence. They walked over to the fence and were met by a man in a plaid flannel shirt who was working on a beautiful garden. Jill had been impressed immediately by the garden and the yard next door. She knew that the man took deep pride in his home and yard.

Jill and Tim introduced themselves to their soon to be neighbor and he introduced himself as Wilson Wilson. Jill had wondered who would name a child with the last name Wilson Wilson, but she said nothing. He had gone on to explain that he was Wilson Wilson Jr.

Wilson had been keeping an eye on his new neighbors. They seemed to be a nice young couple and he was glad that there was soon to be a new home in the empty lot that had been next door to him. He lived alone and enjoyed the time and privacy that he had. But, a good neighbor was something that he could enjoy and live with.

Each time from now on he would greet them with his hi de ho neighbor. Each and everyday of the Taylor life would we made brighter by the good neighbor. As the years would pass all three of the boys would come to him with their problems.

Wilson prided himself in his home and his work. He had a home that was full of artifacts Each and every room of his home were filled with the things that he had collected over the years.

But, the home had been built and the Taylor family did move in. Tim went to Wilson time and time again. The first time that Tim went to his friend and neighbor had been such a good experience that Tim would use him like a big brother for the next twenty plus years.

The first time that Tim had gone to Wilson was because of a problem that he was having with the installation of the back sliding doors. He had not cut the size right and because of it he was going to have to either just about rebuild the entire wall or order a special sized sliding door. He was dumb he had not gone by the rule measure twice cut once, he had cut twice and measured once and now he could not adjust the frame. The door would always be off center, and no matter what he did the problem just got worse.

The last thing that Tim wanted to do was admit to Jill what he had done. He had done so many stupid things already and he just couldn't face his wife with another problem that was his fault. She would have one more thing over his head.

Tim had been standing in front of the disaster he was in the middle of building and gave his signature grunt. Wilson had been in his yard working on his flowers when he heard the noise. Tim heard the noise from Wilson's house and went over to the fence.

"Hi De Ho neighbor. How is the house coming along?" Wilson had asked him.

With the signature moan Tim told his neighbor about the problem with the door. "I just don't want Jill to know that there has been another problem with the house." he had told him.

Wilson had listened to his new friend and told him "Tim this is not something that Jill won't notice. The best way to handle it is by telling her the truth. But the choice is yours."

Tim had indeed admitted to Jill what he had done and she had groaned, but they ordered a special sized sliding door and the sliding door lasted until the sale of the home over twenty years later. Wilson passed on at a younger age. Jill and Tim had never been sure of his true age and the fence had never felt the same.

Jill and Tim had been working on the home for weeks when Wilson returned from one of his many trips. Jill was amazed at the things that the man had collected over the years. He had statues and pottery everything and anything that could be imagined. Jill and Tim had listened intently to the man

They found out that he was indeed a very educated man who had a PHD in cultural studies and that he had studied extinct languages and forgotten cultures. Wilson had been married for many years but his wife had passed on before . Jill often wondered what she was like because Wilson was such an educated and different type of man. He was indeed good and kind, but he was his own person. She had liked him the moment that they had met.


	16. Chapter 17

Jill had been thinking about her life with Tim when she had opened her jewelry box that morning for the thousandth time. She was looking for one of her favorite earrings and came across Tim's watch.

The watch brought back such good memories. Tim had worn that for years and years. It had been broken on the show on trips while repairing cars , but it had just kept on ticking . The jeweler had joked to Jill that Tim's watch kept him in business. Tim always told the boys that he considered it his good luck piece and that he had never gotten a more favorite present.

The boys were very young when they had decided on the watch for their father's thirtieth birthday. Jill had told them that this birthday was a big one and that she thought that they should get their dad a special gift. Brad was learning to tell time in school and wanted to replace the watch that his father had just broken by accident.

Every trip to the store with three young boys was a challenge to any mother and this trip was to be no different. As the four of them got into the car, the fights over who rode shotgun, who got to ride shotgun back, who sat behind her. If there was something for the boys to argue about they would find it. The hair would be pulled and the scuffle was just part of the ride that Jill had finally gotten used to.

As she had driven down the road to the mall, she was met by the horrific traffic and the fight for the good parking space. Finally after several failed attempts she had managed to find a parking place in the area where the jewelry store that she wished to go to was located.

But the boys had their own ideas on what their dad would want for his birthday. They all agreed that a new muscle car was their dad's real wish, but Jill had no interest in cars and would not know anything for a purchase. That was Tim's thing and she wanted something special for Tim.

Tim had lost his watch just two weeks ago. Although he had looked everywhere he had not found it until he went out to the shed. There in the shed he found his watch under his foot as he had walked in the door. Apparently the clasp had let go at some point and the watch had been dropped on the floor. When she had brought the watch in for repairs the jeweler told her that the watch was beyond repair. Tim had been upset because the watch had been given to him for a graduation present from his grandparents.

Each and every jewelry store and department store had watches for sale, but none of them had appealed to her or the boys. After walking the halls and the stores for three hours they finally all took a seat at one of the local restaurants and groaned. The boys had enough of shopping and were ready to go home. As they moaned and groaned Jill had felt like doing the same.

After the boys had spent some time in the video arcade the four of them started the long trek back. They were walking slowly and looking at each window when Brad had run ahead. Jill saw him looking in one of the sporting goods windows . He seemed to be fixed on one item. But as she approached the window where Brad and now Randy were standing Jill took a look.

There in the window had been a watch with a set of tools on the face. The watch seemed to be made for Tim. It was a perfect watch for him to wear on the show that he did also. As she and the boys had gone inside to purchase it Jill had smiled. She had indeed found what she thought was the perfect gift for Tim.

All three of the boys were very excited to find this watch. Now was the problem that Tim's birthday wasn't going to be until Wednesday and she was sure that the boys were going to spill the beans about the present that they had gotten their father.

"Remember boys this is a surprise." she had told them.

As they were getting ready to leave the mall they went by a booth that was wrapping gifts. It was being done by some people who were raising money for people with curable palsy. Jill decided to have them wrap the gift since it went to a good cause and only cost fifty cents. Once the watch was wrapped they all got back into the car for the ride home.

The ride home had been full of energy and each one of the boys tried to fight for the right to hold the watch. But Jill kept a keen eye on it and the watch survived the ride back to the house. But through sheer force Brad had won the right to carry it into the house. He walked with the watch behind his back as he saw his father standing in the kitchen.

Tim had asked him what he was hiding, but Brad and Randy and little Mark had all said nothing and run right up the stairs.

Jill was sure that he knew that they were hiding his birthday present because he didn't pursue the question.

For three days the boys nearly spilled the beans several times, but the secret was kept from Tim. That Wednesday at supper there was a big cake and the boys proudly gave their dad the watch. As Tim opened it he thanked everyone.

The watch remained on his arm for the next forty years until the day that he had passed away. Jill found herself standing at the jewelry box with tears in her eyes as she recalled those days. They had been very happy years indeed and she would not trade them in for anything.


	17. Chapter 18

Raising three boys and having a house and Tim would have been enough to keep most women busy. But, Jill wanted to continue her education and each day studied while Randy and Brad were in school. Mark was a quiet well behaved child who needed little supervision while he was alone. Or so she thought.

Mark had met a new boy named Jimmy who had moved in next door and they were quickly becoming the best of friends. They were the same age and his mother seemed responsible. Mark had begged to go over to Jimmy's and after Jill had called and talked to his mother Debbie she had walked with him over to the yard and told him to be good.

Jimmy and Mark had gone right over to the swings that the family had set up in the backyard. Jill and Debbie watched the two boys for a few minutes and then Jill went back inside her house to do some more studying. With the total quiet in the house Jill was able to finish an important paper that she had been trying to finish for weeks. As she looked the paper over she was pleased with the results. But as she stretched she saw that it was getting close to the time she should be picking up the boys.

As she went outside to call Mark, he didn't answer. She looked over in the yard and saw Jimmy, but didn't see Mark. She asked Jimmy where Mark was and he said "He is in the garage" and he pointed.

Jill went over to the garage where she found Mark standing near a box. She told him "Mark we have to go and get your brothers. Say good-bye to your friend. You can see him later."

But Mark was hesitant and seemed to fixated with something in the box. When Jill approached him he tried to hide what was there. Then Jill heard the sound, a dog. Mark had found a little dog. Jill smiled and said "Jimmy your dog is cute."

That was when Debbie walked into the garage smiling. "We don't have a dog"

The dreaded words "They don't have a dog." Jill knew that Mark was now going to beg her for the dog.

Mark had looked at her with those big eyes of hers and she couldn't resist him. But the last thing that she needed was another mouth to feed and care for. "We will take him to our house, but we are going to have to put an ad in the paper and flyers around. This is someone else's dog and I am sure that they are missing him.

With that the dog got in the car with Mark and Jill and it was off to get the boys from school. Needless to say the dog was a big hit with the boys. He was small and very friendly. Even Jill couldn't help but like him. But her allergies were starting to kick in and she knew that she was in for a hard time. And then 'What was Tim going to say?'

Jill told the boys to bring the dog upstairs and got on the phone. There were some vets in the area and she called each and everyone of them giving them her name and phone number. So far, no one had reported a missing dog. She then went upstairs and took some pictures with her polaroid camera. She would go to the drug store later and make copies of the picture. Then she was going to have the boys help her hang the pictures around the neighborhood. 'Right she knew that she was going to have little help with that.'

Meanwhile the boys had plans of their own. As Jill had gone up the stairs she could hear them all talking about how the dog had to be very good and not chew on anything. We want mom and dad to like him too. That way he can stay.

By the time Tim got home from work the boys had given the dog a name too. His name was Max.

Tim Taylor came home from his television show that day and took a seat in the living room. He was wondering where his three boys were. Usually when he came home they would all pile downstairs, but today they did not.

Tim looked at Jill who seemed to be very busy in the kitchen and knew that something was going on. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what that was. The last time the house had been this quiet Brad had attempted to convince him to let him have a bee bee gun. Jill had been so against it that Tim was sure that Brad was going to be eighteen before he would be allowed to even touch a gun.

But then he looked at his wife again and thought to himself 'Is she crying?'

He walked over to Jill and there were tears in her eyes. "Did I do something? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Tim asked his wife.

"I'm not crying it's allergies." Jill had told them.

"What happened have you been around another dog? Every time you get near one your allergies go crazy."

Just then the three boys came down the stairs and they were trying to hide something behind them. Tim heard a noise and knew what it was. The boys had brought home a dog. Tim told them "Let me see the dog."

With that they pulled out the cutest little ball of fur Tim had ever seen. The dog licked his hand and cuddled right in his arms. Tim was sold and looked at the boys and then Jill. Poor Jill she looked miserable, but the puppy was so cute.

That night the Taylor household had no sleep. The dog whined the entire night and if he was ignored he howled. Both Jill and Tim had to hold him or he would howl even louder. It was a terrible night and they felt so sorry for the obviously lonely little dog.

The next day Jill and Mark dragged themselves around the neighborhood posting pictures. Jill called some more vets and then waited for the calls. Jill had to go to the doctors for a shot to help with her allergies and finally she was starting to feel better.

Within a few days the dog started to sleep with the boys and Max was starting to become a part of the family. Just as Jill was getting ready to accept the new member of the family there was a knock on the door. There was a man standing there. He had seen one of the flyers and was told that his dog was there.

As soon as Max saw the man he ran up to him with his tail wagging. Jill knew that this was his dog. The dog's name was Blackie and he was just ten weeks old. He had gotten out of the man's fenced in yard and he had been looking for him since that day. He offered Jill a reward but she refused.

Mark was devastated and as the boys and Tim heard the news they were unhappy. Max was starting to become a part of the family.


	18. Chapter 20

Most of the memories that Jill had been writing had been straight from her heart. She had so many fond memories of her and her family as the all grew up. But they were all grown up with children of their own, She was glad to hear from them and when Brad gave her a call that he was going to be in the area she was thrilled to hear that he was going to be stopping by.

Brad did not live far from Jill but his job kept him busy and she didn't see him or any of the boys as much as she would like to. But they now had their own lives to live and she was proud of them.

With the knock on the door came Brad. He was now well over six feet tall and had kept his sandy blonde hair. He was a good looking man and he smiled and gave his mother a kiss as he came in.

Jill had been working on her book when he had come in and he came over to look at her papers. He laughed as he looked at some of the things that she had written and took a seat on the couch. "Mom you and dad sure gave us enough love and memories to keep a lifetime. Everyone of the memories my brothers and I have are good . Why I remember the day dad brought home the car that we called the beast." Brad told her.

Jill remembered the day well and as she took out her notebook she began taking notes on Brad's memories. Brad was about seven years old when Tim had come across this old 1959 buick. The car had the large tail fins and it was light blue. Everything else on the car was in terrible condition.

That day Tim had been on his way home when he had seen an old car being towed. The car was in obvious poor condition with brush and twigs sticking out of the door. There were twigs and things sticking out of the broken windshield too. But he decided that car was going to be his next project and gave the man fifty dollars to have the car towed to his house.

The boys had heard the tow truck pulling into the driveway and run outside. "Boys hold on stay away from the truck." Jill looked down at the car that was being put in her garage and groaned. The car had hanging bumpers sticks sticking out all around the car. The windows were broken oh what a mess. As Jill watched in horror Tim gave the man driving the tow truck fifty dollars for the disaster on wheels.

Tim gave her his puppy dog eyes and tried to show her the car. The boys were all around the car laughing. At the age of three Mark knew that his father was crazy to have bought such a piece of junk. As Tim went to open the hood and take a look at the engine the horn started to blow. Yes the horn worked, maybe nothing else, but the phone did work. As Tim reached in to disconnect the horn the hood almost landed on his head. If Brad hadn't been standing there and caught it Tim could have been badly hurt.

But curiosity had gotten to Jill and she had to take a look at the engine and such. She gasped as she looked at the engine. It was full of dirt and dust and had obviously not been run for years. There were cobwebs under the hood for gosh sakes. She shook her head in disgust and walked back into the kitchen. There was dinner to be made for her family and frankly she was glad to get out of the garage.

Tim and the boys were all standing around the car checking it out. The car was huge and for all the apparent bad condition it was in the inside was in pretty good condition. But that was about the only hope the car had. The engine and transmission was shot obviously and the windshield and the drivers side window was broken. Randy was now behind the steering wheel and playing with the knobs. Everything that was supposed to be on the inside was there and it was a plus.

"Some of my best memories are of my dad and I working on that car. We spent hours working on it. That was the first car that I ever helped dad put an engine in. It was hard work and Al had come over along with many of our uncles to help." Brad told his mother.

Jill nodded her head. She remembered that car. The car had taken Tim months to fix and with the help of Tim's brothers had finally finished it. But when Tim finished something there was always trouble. He had asked everyone in the family to come with him for a drive. Jill had been nervous about a ride in a car that her husband and boys had rebuilt , but had agreed to go to the park with them that day.

The family had a picnic and spent the day together. The car was not a bad car and was a pleasure to ride in. As they had left the lake to walk up to the car, they had discovered that the car that Tim and the boys had been working on for so long was no longer there. Someone had stolen it.

The car was found three days later wrapped around a telephone pole. They never found out who stole the car, but the frame was bent beyond repair and the car was taken directly to the junk yard. With no insurance Tim and the boys lost all the work that they had done.

Brad smiled as he remembered what had happened "It was our first real project and I will always remember it."

Jill and Brad had a great visit and Jill sighed as Brad left for his own home. Jill found herself at home alone again.


	19. Chapter 21

Jill had her moments when she found the house empty and too quiet. She was not lonely often, after all she had a good job and a life outside of the home that kept her very busy. But, as she wrote her memoirs she could not help but remember how busy the house once was.

With three boys their friends their life things were never dull at the Taylor household. She thought of the day that she had finally convinced Tim that it was time to build a barb q pit. She had wanted one for a long time. But when the boys were very young Tim and Jill had both worried that one of the boys could have been hurt.

But now the boys were getting older and could be told of the dangers of getting too close to something like that. Brad and Randy had been very excited about the new barb q pit and wanted to help. When Mark heard them talking about helping their dad with the building of the barb q pit he had joined in saying that he too wanted to help.

The first thing that Tim had to do before he built the pit was to go to the home improvement store. He was well known among the employees that worked there and as he walked in the store he was offered immediate assistance. Everyone knew him and knew how Tim had a bad habit of being clumsy. Too many things happened when Tim Taylor came into the store. The store manager came right over to him and offered Tim his services.

Tim was proud that the store manager always came over and helped him personally. He told the boys "You see because of my television show everyone here knows me. I get special treatment." he had bragged.

Brad laughed and said "No dad. You are not a celebrity. This poor man just remembers what has happened when you have come here before and he is trying to avoid it happening again. Don't you remember that the last time that we were here you drove the forklift into a display of toilets and that they had been dropped on the floor. There were toilets everywhere. When you backed up the faucets fell down. It must have taken the poor workers the rest of the day to clean up the mess." he told his father.

The store manager cringed as he remembered his workers trying to clean up the mess that Tim the toolman Taylor had left in his store. It had taken his men days to straighten out the mess. Each and every box had to be opened and the contents checked, and sure enough everyone of the toilets had been broken. He had spent hours himself filling out the insurance forms. He remembered what the man from the insurance company had said when he sent out the paperwork too. "I know that Tim Taylor is one of your best customers, but wouldn't he like to shop someplace else? This is the third claim you have presented to us this month alone." He now handled Tim personally.

Tim looked around at all of the things the store had to offer. With each piece was a chance for him to do something new at his house or on his show. He was like a kid in a toy store. Tim could spend the entire day in the store just making plans about future projects. But today he and his boys were there to get the things that they needed to build a new barb q pit.

As Tim and the boys picked out what they wanted the store manager thought that he had been very lucky that day. But, the day wasn't over and as Tim pulled the truck up to the dock where the items were to be loaded. Everything was going well until Tim insisted on helping the young man with loading the bricks. As the man brought the bricks over to the truck Tim directed him. Brad and Randy tried to tell their father that the bricks were too far forward in the truck but Tim was watching and said "No it is all right. You can lower the bricks now."

As the young man lowered the load a corner of the forklift that was holding the bricks caught the corner of the cab of the truck. The young man who was driving the forklift lifted up too quickly and the bricks started to teeter. The three boys watched as they teetered and seemed to steady, but that was not to be. With a big bang down the bricks went. Most of the bricks landed on the cab of the truck while the rest of them landed on the ground. Not only was the cab of the truck crushed, but most of the bricks were now damaged.

The store manager came running over to the disaster and could have cried. He should have been there watching, but there had been a problem with another customer. He was going to be filling out more forms that afternoon for sure. It was all that he could do to control himself. Tim had to call Jill who had to come to the store to pick him and the boys up. As she pulled into the store's parking lot she saw the truck being towed away. The cab was crushed all the way down to the front seat.

Jill said nothing about this to Tim she was so mad at him. She watched as the poor store manager offered to have the load delivered to the house and she and Tim headed back to their own house. Tim was meek and quiet that day all the way home but not the boys.

"You should have seen it mom. The bricks fell down on the cab and the store manager came running. He was beat red. " they told her with the excitement of being a child.

But the barb q pit was built and still stood outside in the patio. As Jill looked at the barb q pit tears formed in her eyes . It was one of her happier moments with Tim and the boys.


	20. Chapter 22

Wilson was a man of education and had traveled through many countries. He liked his neighbors Tim and Jill. Their three sons were healthy inquisitive and for the most part polite. He was glad to know the family and call them friends. His wife had died a few years ago and for that reason Wilson had thought that his life was going to be boring and without meaning.

But, not anymore. For Wilson had been in the middle east on a journey of his own. He enjoyed the time outside of the United States. He wanted to learn about the other people who inhabited the great planet Earth. There were times when he would be gone for months .

Whenever Wilson was gone it was strange how quiet things were around the neighborhood. Wilson was a single man who lived a very quiet life in the house next door. It was a rare occasion that Jill and Tim would even hear the man. But, when Wilson was gone it was like a piece of a puzzle with on piece missing.

Wilson had been out somewhere in the middle east for the past six weeks and Jill had wanted to see any new artifacts that he had brought home. She always had been welcome at her neighbor's home, but somehow she thought that she should wait for an invitation of some sort.

It was early in the morning and Randy and Brad had just gone to school when Jill had gone outside to do some yard work. She was near the fence that bordered Wilsons and their property when she heard Wilson at work in his yard. She popped her head over the fence and said "Good morning. Welcome back."

Wilson looked over the fence himself and said "Howdy neighbor"

"It has been quiet around here without you here." Jill told him with a smile. "How was the trip? Did you see anything interesting?" Jill asked him.

"Oh yes there is always something interesting happening someplace else. The people are friendly and I was able to pick up some artifacts on a dig that I did in one of the small towns in the area. Would you like to see them?" Wilson asked.

Jill was thrilled to be invited over to Wilson's house. The house was full of things that she could not even imagine. "I would like to very much. But Mark is still here ." she told him.

"Bring Mark with you. He might find some of things interesting himself." Wilson told her with a smile.

Jill and Mark went over to Wilson's house and were entranced by the many artifacts that Wilson had added to his vast collection. As Mark and Jill entered the house Jill took Mark's hand tightly. She knew how he could be curious and might touch something. Wilson smiled and told her "Don't worry Mark knows better than to touch anything here without asking . Right Mark?" Wilson told her.

Mark smiled up at his friend and said "Yes sir."

The house was something to see. Mark looked at the masks and the miniature figurines that decorated nearly every wall and every shelf. There were things that were over a thousand years old sitting right in the middle of Wilson's living room. Jill had a great time examining everything and listening to the tales that Wilson had to offer her.

"I was in a small town looking for a mask of protection when the mayor and some of his men tried their best to have me buried in the tomb of the town forever. It was by the skin of my teeth that I escaped. But now I have an artifact that no one else in the known world has. It is said that this piece can bring the bearer the best of luck and a long life with good health."

Jill looked at the artifact that was no more than three inches in length. It had a face on the front and weighed just a few ounces. The artifact was quite scary to look at indeed. But Mark had found the piece interesting as he had found many of the other things that decorated Wilson's house. Mark had been honored when Wilson gave him a piece that he said he discovered in the country of Peru.

Jill thought that the artifact was rather scary looking. it was a mask of about ten inches long and six inches wide. It had been hand carved . Mark wanted to hang it on his wall, so Jill had allowed it. Jill thought of that hideous thing that hung on Mark's wall until he had moved out. It now was on his living room wall and Mark was proud of it.

Tim came home that evening to his three lively boys all talking about what Wilson had given Mark. Tim had gone upstairs and taken a good look at the mask that was now hanging on Mark's wall. He had made the customary ugh sound as he looked at the strange mask. He shook his head and said to Mark "That was nice of Wilson to give you such a rare artifact." he shook his head as he headed down the stairs to Jill.

"That was something that Wilson gave Mark. The mask is down right frightening. What Mark sees in it I will never know." Tim told her with a laugh.

Jill sat back at her desk and thought about the many other times Wilson had come home with different artifacts from all over the world. He was a very interesting man and she wondered what it would have been like to be married to him. Jill then thought of her boys and Tim and the life that they had together. She would not have traded her time with Tim and the boys for all the artifacts in the world. She sat back at her desk and smiled to herself what a life they had together.


	21. Chapter 23

Tim the Tool man Taylor was a big hit on television. With the serious Al and the things that happened to Tim on the show it was indeed a big hit. But the late 90's were here and there were a lot of changes happening in the electronics world.

Much to the dismay of the people on the Home Improvement set, there were now computers everywhere. Of all things Tim Taylor had announced himself as a computer wizard. Everyone that knew Tim knew that he had little or no knowledge of a computer. But, one day the computers had gone down on the set and Al had called in a professional.

Not Tim he was the type to go all in . He was on live television when he took the computer out on the stage and started to demonstrate a simple way to repair a home computer. Naturally Al did his best to convince Tim not to do anything until a repairman came. But Tim was sure that he could fix it. There in front of a large television audience Tim took the back off of the computer.

Inside was a mother board and Tim could see that there were some loose wires. Before or anyone for that matter could tell him not to touch the wires Tim did. Well he hadn't unplugged the computer and when he let go his hair was standing straight out. The lights went out on the stage and the board was now entirely friend.

When the repairman came to the show to repair the computer he saw what Tim had done. It was something that he had seen before. There had been many cases where someone had tried to repair their computers and the results were always the same. That computer was going to need more work than it was worth. They were going to have to buy a new one.

As Al got the electricity turned back on the stage Tim tried in vain to convince the repair man that the computer was worth fixing. But the computers were improving at such a fast rate that a computer that was just a few months old was considered obsolete. The computer had been on the set for almost two months now and there was a newer improved version out.

So it was with heavy heart that Tim made the decision to bring the old computer home and try to fix it himself. He knew that his boys had been bugging him for the past few months about getting a computer for the home. "Everyone has one dad" they had told him over and over.

But the computer would need an internet provider and that was going to cost money and then he was going to have to pay for a new board of some sort. Tim was sure that he could figure out how to repair it, but he needed the provider.

As Tim came home that evening he found his boys sitting on the couch. They had watched the show and had seen what their father had done to the computer. "Jeesh dad, don't you know that you are supposed to unplug something before you work on it?" Brad asked.

But Randy had already gotten up he saw the computer in his dad's hand "Is that the wrecked computer or did you just buy this?" Randy asked with worry on his face.

All three of the boys and Jill looked at Tim and knew that it was the broken computer. He smiled at them and said "All it needs is some kind of board. I know that I can fix it." he told them.

The boys and Jill were sure that Tim would not be able to fix it. "Sure dad." Brad told him and turned his face back to the television once again very disappointed.

Tim worked on the computer for days and with the boys help he was finally able to try the computer out once again. The three boys and Jill stepped away from it worrying that something would happen. But it worked. The computer worked. It was very slow and now they would an internet connection.

As they bought an internet provider Tim was pleased with himself. But the darn thing kept on going off line. It seemed that every time he found a site that he was interested in the thing went off line. He was starting to get very irritated with it.

Jill had done a lot of work on line on the computer and never had that problem. When the boys used the computer they didn't have that problem. The problem was getting so bad but Tim wasn't going to admit to them about the problem he was having.

Jill and the boys were getting better at the computer and were all using it. But Tim he was having trouble with the computer disconnecting. Jill saw what was happening to Tim and started to wonder what was happening.

Brad and Randy saw their father getting on the computer and waited patiently for him to get on line. They knew what they were going to do and headed upstairs to the second phone that was in her parents room.

But Jill had watched the boys as they went up the stairs laughing. She wondered what was going on. Then she heard the giggles of her three boys. She went into her room and found the boys holding the phone in their hands. They had been doing something very mean to their father. Every time that Tim got on line they would pick up the phone. When you picked up the phone it disconnected the internet on their father and they could hear his groan even from there.

That night Jill made the boys admit to what they had been doing. Tim did not know that when someone was on the computer you couldn't use the phone in the house. So that meant that they were going to have to put in another telephone line. The boys were grounded and couldn't use the computer for a week. But as Jill remembered this she laughed. It was sort of mean but funny too. It was a good memory.


	22. Chapter 24

Jill couldn't write her memoirs without remembering Tim's best friend and co host of the Tool Time program. Al was the mature and conservative one of the two friends, but stood behind Tim no matter what happened.

Al had been raised by a father who was sixty when he had him and was very close to his mother. His mother did everything for him and for most of his life Al lived with her. This caused Tim to pick on his sometimes. but Al had taken it in stride.

Many times Al had come over to the house and taken the boys He would take them to baseball games and out for treats many times. All of the boys were very fond of him and Jill had grown close to him over the years.

Al now lived in a condo on the other side of town. She didn't hear from her often enough and picked up the phone. She wanted to talk to Al and see what he had been up to. He had retired when Tim had died and had made himself very busy. He still worked part time as a contractor and gave advice freely over the phone to his neighbors and friends.

Al picked the phone right up and was pleasantly surprised to hear Jill's voice. Since his best friend had died he had not been over to the Taylor household enough. He knew that he should go and visit Jill more often but it was hard without Tim there.

"I am writing my memoirs of the time that I had with Tim. As I have been writing many stories of the boys and Tim, I realized that no memoir would be incomplete without a chapter on you and your friendship." Jill told him.

Al thought of his friend Tim and how they had met many years ago. They were both doing home construction and had hit it off as best friends almost the moment that they had met. When Tim had called him about the new television program that he was going to be appearing on Al had jumped at the chance.

Al watched Bon Villa and his show every time that it was on television. He had envisioned that Tool Time would be very similar to the home improvement show that was hosted by Bob Villa. When he found out that Binfprd Tools was going to sponsor the show he had jumped at the chance. It had been a life changing decision for him. He was now a celebrity and was seen all over the city and most of the state every single day. Oh the show had similarities to the Bob Villa show but that was all.

With Tim Taylor as a host Al never knew what was going to happen. He remembered the day that his mother had a friend who needed a new deck placed in her backyard. He laughed to himself when he thought of the disaster that was about to happen as Tim and Al had pulled up to the yard. The worst thing was that it was going to be done on live television. " I do remember some of the better shows Jill. Tim was my best friend but I remember the time we installed a new deck at the home of my mother's friend Jenny Tyler."

Jill cringed as she remembered that day. It had all started out as a normal day. Tim had left the house telling her that Al and him were going to be doing a live show at a friend of Al's mothers. All they were doing was installing a deck and it would be completed that day. She thought of how she had cringed at the thought of the live television show. Every time that Tim and Al had a live show something went wrong. But she had wished him good luck .

The boys had been less supportive and told him "Be careful dad and good luck." Randy had told him with a grin. They were now aware of the problems that live television presented also. They had seen so many times that they seen their father do something very clumsy and embarrassing things that they were used to it.

Jill had hoped that this day would be different but ti wasn't . Al and Tim had an adventure at the poor lady's house that she would never forget. The day had started off right and when the camera crew and the rest of the materials arrived everything was ready for the installation.

There had never been a deck on the house before and the first thing that Al and Tim had to do was to put braces on the house. Al should have known that trouble ws coming when Tim announced that he had improved the drill that he was using. He had "Improved it" Al had tried to stop Tim, but no there was no stopping him and when Tim put the drill to the side of the house he lost control. The drill slammed into the siding on the house and as the piece flapped upward it broke the window that was on the sliding doors that were going to be the entrance to the deck from the house.

To make things even worse Tim fell down and was hanging from the ladder upside down as he had fallen as he tried to control the drill. As Al helped Tim back up the lady had come running over. She had truly thought that all the things that happened to Tim were part of the act. But now, she was mad she chased Tim and Al from the yard with a rake. The film crew barely got away with their lives.

Bud Harper had gotten the bill that day for the work that had to be done to fix what Tim had done to the house. He had called him into the office, but was used to things happening whenever Tim was around. The show turned out to be one of the highest rated shows of the season that year.

As the call ended both Al and Jill were laughing as they remembered their time with Tim. "Call me anytime. I have lots of stories. Things that you never knew about that happened on the show. " Al told her.

Jill answered that she would and smiled as she hung up the phone once more.


	23. Chapter 25

Jill had been at her desk for hours looking at her book that she had written. There on the pages was the story of her life with the boys and Tim. The years had been good ones. She couldn't help but remember the time that they decided to take a family vacation.

Nothing Tim Taylor ever did was just a simple thing. Everything required the best for his family. His ideas were sometimes a little strange. This time was no just going on a vacation with Tim. He wanted to go camping, of all things. Jill wanted a hotel room and maid service. But, in the end Tim had won. They did not have much money and camping was a lot cheaper.

But, by the time all of the equipment was bought somehow or another Jill had been sure that all of the money that they had saved by camping had been spent on the things they needed.

The boys were excited about the chance to go camping and Tim knew the perfect place. What he didn't tell Jill was that the perfect place was on the top of a mountain and that all of the equipment was going to have to be carried. As she packed the backpacks she noticed that there were fishing poles and a frying pan, but not much other food. She was not going to accept that and was thrilled when she found a cooler with wheels on it.

The boys were up at four in the morning . Jill was still in bed and in no mood to get going as they said. As she dragged herself around the house and got things ready for the trip the boys and Tim finished packing the car. Jill looked around the home before they left to make sure that nothing had been forgotten and the trip began.

Sure enough half an hour into the trip the boys wanted to know if they were almost there. They had to stop to go to the bathroom even though Jill had asked them twice if they had to use the bathroom or not. The ride was long and the climb up the mountain road was scary. There was no place for a car to turn around for miles and the road was barely wide enough for a car to pass another car.

By the time the car had gone as far as it was going to go Jill was ready to go home. With leaps and bounds the boys jumped out of the car. They were still too young to carry much and Jill had no idea that the perfect spot was four miles up from where the car had been left. As she put on the backpack dragged out the cooler and grabbed the boys who were already running ahead she was tired.

The hike up the hill was beautiful and Jill saw lots of small animals. But after about an hour of dragging everything chasing the boys and climbing Jill was ready to go home. This was not her idea of a vacation. Now, Mark was too tired to carry his things. Tim was carrying them for him. Jill had watched as he struggled with everything that he was carrying. But Tim was not a quitter. He kept going and so did she and the boys.

Finally they arrived at the perfect spot. But the perfect spot had become other people's perfect spots too. The place was a mess. People had left garbage all over the place and Jill cleaned up as Tim and the boys put up the tent.

Now for the memory of the tent. Tim had always been into larger than live things and this was no exception. The tent already had three rooms and was huge to begin with but he had modified it to some degree. He had added a room where they could put their items in so that the animals wouldn't get to them.

But as luck would have it the rain started just as Tim finished putting up the tent. Jill and the boys along with Tim ran into the tent for what they had thought would be shelter. Ten minutes after they entered the tent it began to leak. The leak started where Tim had added the room and then the water started getting to where Jill and the boys were. It was a busy afternoon keeping the water away from their sleeping bags and things. It was "Man the pumps". When the rain finally stopped Jill was really ready to go home.

But the next morning came and with a little work, Jill and Tim fixed the tent and made it waterproof once again. The boys had been fishing and had caught three very small fish. Breakfast was going to be fish. When Jill pulled out the box of cereal she thought that they would cheer. But, not her boys they were there to camp and they ate the fish.

Lunch came and Jill had managed to find some strawberries. Lunch was fish and strawberries. Dinner was fish and strawberries. There was nothing else to eat up there on the mountain. But Jill had to admit that up there on the mountain the family had been a family.

The family actually hiked the next day for a while also. There were so many things to see. The followed the lake for a while and ran into another family. The family had two boys and were there for the same reason that the Taylor's were there for. That night the two families sat around a camp fire together and told stories. It was there that the Taylor family had made friends that Jill still kept in touch with.

Jill learned that fishing was not that bad and the water was crystal clear. The boys and Jill all went swimming . There was a small beach and Jill had watched Tim out there enjoying the time with the boys too. The three days on the mountain were great and Jill and the boys made a point of going there every summer from then on. It was not Jill's idea of the best place for a vacation, but it had been her idea of a great place for a family to be together alone for a while. There were times like this that she actually missed the lake and the mountain top.


	24. Chapter 26

The house was quiet and Jill had another story to add to her memoirs. As she sat down she smiled at the story she was thinking of.

Her boys were starting to grow up and all of them were now in school. Jill was back to school and Tim's television show was having one of it's best years yet. The ratings were very high.

Mark found himself as the youngest Taylor who came to school following in his brother's footsteps. He had the same teacher that Brad had just four years before. Brad had been a lively athletic boy without much interest in school. Mark was the opposite. He was much more quiet and loved to read and write.

It was time for the spring show that they held every year towards the end of the year. The show that his class was going to be putting on was about Snow White and Mark had been asked to play the prince. Mark was delighted but his brother had other things to say about it. His father had not been much help encouraging him either.

Mark had come home from school all excited about being chosen to be the prince in the show. "Mom I need you to make a costume for me and as he showed Jill the costume Brad and Randy looked at the picture that Mark had.

They looked and then Brad had said "You wear that outfit in public and you will never live it down. What a stupid outfit."

Randy just laughed and as the boys started to run up the stairs Jill stopped them and made them come back to the kitchen. She took one look at Mark whose feelings had been hurt and told them "The outfit is wonderful . That is how people dressed back then. Everyone in Mark's class will be dressed like that, he will look good. Apologize to your brother." Jill told them.

The boys didn't want to and said "I am sorry." . But as they went up the stairs Jill could tell that Mark was in for a teasing. She looked at mark and said "Don't pay them any attention. They're just jealous of you because they never got the lead part in any of their springtime shows."

Mark had gone up the stairs feeling better and Jill had taken a good look at what the teacher wanted for a costume. It would not be hard for her to make and she would go and get the material and things that she needed in the morning.

Tim came in that evening and all of the boys were talking about the spring concert. But, when they told Tim about the part that Mark was playing and the long white robe with flowers Tim made his customary OHHH. That set the boys back on track and they started to laugh at the outfit along with their father.

Mark had been horrified at what his brothers and father thought about the outfit and announced that he wasn't going to be in that stupid play no matter what anyone said and no one could make him.

Jill was angry at Tim and the boys. "How could you act like that to your brother? And Tim how could you say such a thing to your son? It is an honor to be asked to do the lead in a school play. Prince Charming is a big part for Mark and he would have some speaking parts. I am ashamed of all three of you." she had told them.

"Tim how could you do this to Mark? You of all people are on the television everyday. You have had some things happen on your show live that I am sure you wish you could erase. What if Mark wants to follow in your steps and be on television himself? What if what you just said makes him not do that?" Jill told him very sternly.

This was not good for Tim and Randy and Brad. Their mom rarely had anything bad to say about them. She always stood beside them no matter what they did. Tim knew that he had overstepped his bounds this time. He was just having some fun, he thought.

But this time they had teased Mark to the point where he had left the table. Tim and Mark's brothers went upstairs and talked to him. They all admitted that they were a little jealous that Mark had gotten the biggest part. "I never got to do anything but be a little lilly pad." Brad told him.

"Yeah remember me? I was a tree. A tree of all things." Randy told him.

Mark understood and came down the stairs . He found his mom in the kitchen and told her. "I have changed my mind and I want to be in the play. Can you still make my costume?" he asked.

It turned out that that year Brad ended up being one of the students who did the announcing of the plays . He had to practice his lines and stood in front of the mirror for three days. Jill made sure that he was dressed well and that his shoes were spit shined.

Randy was doing a very back of the scene part once again and blended in to his joy with the others in his class.

But Mark had shined. He wore his costume with pride and after days of practice said everyone of his lines without an error. He was the hit of the show and got to bow three times.

As the Taylor family went out for a treat at a local restaurant after the show Jill was very proud of her boys. Each one of them had done good at the concert that evening and were very open about how their feelings were changing. "Being on the stage was kind of fun." Brad had admitted. That surprised Jill the most. She had never thought that Brad might be an MC or something when he was an adult.

The night ended well and life went on at the Taylor household.


	25. Chapter 27

Everyday that Tool Time was on was a worry to Jill. She never knew what was going to happen on the show. But the worst thing was when Tim told her nothing about the upcoming show. Sometimes that meant that he had plans and those plans turned into disasters all too often.

Al would worry also if he didn't hear from Tim early on before the show. If Tim was off somewhere doing something it was usually something that would spell trouble for Tim and anyone else that got in his way. The day before Tim had received a package and had brought it directly to his room. He had been very evasive about it's contents when Al had asked about it. This worried Al and everyone who was on the set.

But today was supposed to be a simple show to show someone how to install a new wooden floor. The floor was premeasured and could be installed very easily and Al couldn't see what Tim could have that would be the cause of another headache that he sometimes caused.

The show started off just like any other show and the audience was a large one. Tim came out on the stage and introduced the audience to what he was going to do that day and everything seemed to be going well. Al brought out some samples that they had picked up at a local home improvement store and Tim began to show the floor and the different types that were now available at a reasonable price.

As Al measured and then measured again to make sure that everything was all right Tim went to the back of the stage and brought something out. As Al had turned to see what Tim had he saw that Tim had it under a cover. 'Now what has he done?" Al thought to himself. But, when Al tried to look under the cloth that was covering whatever Tim had Tim had pushed him away.

This movement made everyone on the stage nervous and Jill who was sitting in her living room with her three boys was now very concerned. But Brad was the one to speak up "Uh oh everyone duck. Dad has something that he wants to try out. You better warm up the car, he will probably need to go to the emergency room tonight." he warned Jill and his brothers.

Jill had to laugh but she told them "Don't say that. Just because your father has something hidden doesn't spell disaster. Well not all of the time anyways." she told them and turned with her boys to watch what was going to happen in the next few moments. All four of them were watching the show keenly . Sure enough as Al started to put the first of the flooring down Tim said "I have something here that will make the job as easy as it can. You see how Al is bent over on his hands and knees getting ready to put the flooring down? Well this little baby here is my invention and it will make putting the flooring down twice as fast and not require anyone to get down on their hands and knees."

With that he pulled the tarp that was covering the item that he had and revealed a robotic arm. The arm had a hand that looked like a human hand . Tim wanted to show the audience that this mechanical arm could be made to do all of the work of installing the floor. Al was noticeably worried about the arm that Tim had invented. After all Tim could barely get on line, let alone build a computer. Al said to him " Have you tried this out before?"

Tim shook his head and said "Sorry Buddy I didn't have the time. But I know that it will work and I have read the instructions very carefully. By this time Al was standing up and every eye in the audience was on Tim and the new mechanical arm. Tim was very proud of his purchase and had done some minor modifications. he was sure that it was going to work fine.

As he went to turn it on at home Jill and the boys closed their eyes and prayed. At first the arm seemed to be doing what it was supposed to do. Tim put the material in the hand of the mechanical arm and from an object that looked like a joystick started to control the arm. But the machine started to move too fast and Tim tried to slow it down. But then the joystick broke and the mechanical arm started going haywire. The flooring was flying everywhere and some small pieces actually made it into the audience.

As Al reached over to shut the mechanical arm of Tim got hit in the head by the metallic arm. Tim was knocked down and to the horror of Jill and the boys looked as though he was unconscious just before the show went on an unscheduled break.

Sure enough within a few minutes Jill got the call from the studio. Tim had been knocked out but was now awake and was on his way to the hospital in the ambulance to be checked out. Jill had turned to the boys and said "Come on we have to go and get your father he's in the emergency room again, but he will we all right."

Randy turned around to his mother and said "We should get a discount at the hospital mom. Dad and his inventions keep them in business."

That night Tim went home and was fine to invent something once again.


	26. Chapter 28

With each passing year the Taylor household saw many changes. The living room had seen the lives of the family and had been used to its full potential. Each of the boys and Jill had done everything that you could think of in that room. The room showed it too. the sliding door onto the patio was sticking now and now there was a small hole in the paneling.

The boys had been in the living room horsing around when Brad had thrown a ball to Mark. mark had missed and hence the whole in the wall. This was something that tended to happen when there were three boys in the house. But the rest of the room was in bad need of repair also.

Jill wanted to do the room over to make it more family friendly and of course Tim had his own ideas. But now the boys were ten nine and five and they had their own ideas on what needed to be done. As the five of them all talked at once, Jill called for quiet. They weren't going to be able to get anywhere if they all talked at once.

"I will tell you what . We all have our own ideas on what should be done here in the living room. So, what I want you to do is to write down your ideas. I will write my ideas and so won't Tim. Then in two days we will go over each suggestion and see how many things we have in common with each other." Jill suggested to her family.

There was some grumbling, mostly from Tim, but they had all left to write the suggestions that they had down. Two nights later everyone was seated in the living room when they brought out their list of suggestions.

Tim took the suggestions and read them each. There was little that everyone agreed on. But they all agreed that the sliding door had to be repaired and that there needed to be a new couch and paint. But that was where the agreements ended. Jill knew that the problems were going to happen when she saw what the men had on the list.

Tim wanted a built in entertainment center. This was not a small entertainment center either. He wanted one that would take up the whole wall. The boys wanted a place to put some of their toys Jill thought that they might be able to work something out. Perhaps the entertainment center could be smaller and some shelves could be put on either side of it.

Jill wanted to have tile put on the floor. It was easier to clean and durable. Tim wanted hard wood floors, though. She wanted to enlarge the eating area also. There just was never enough room in the kitchen. But, fi they enlarged the kitchen it would make the living room smaller. She discarded that idea. '

After a long discussion and many nights of arguments, some of them got a little heated the room plans were finalized. Tim insisted that he was going to do all the work. Jill convinced him to have Al come over and help. it was a huge job and she didn't want her house torn apart for any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Everything had to be removed from the living room and as Jill and Tim put the old couch out on the front lawn, she was glad to put the sign on it that said free. The couch had some fond memories for her but she wanted a new one. They had just placed the couch on the lawn and were walking into the house when a truck came by and picked the couch up.

Jill had smiled to herself thinking ' now I am sure that I will get my couch. Our old couch is gone.'

Tim looked over at Jill and saw her smile. 'Yep there was going to be a new couch in the house.' he thought to himself.

But nothing could just be done when Tim the Toolman Taylor was involved. He had the newest of equipment that he had brought from the show. Al came to the door and walked in to see the room ready. he was pleasantly surprised to see that everything had been removed from the room.

Al began taking measurements of everything in the room. He knew bow high the ceilings were and now had plans on how to make the entertainment center. But Tim wanted an exceptional one with a rotating vcr storage unit. As Tim and Al worked together getting the entertainment center built. But Tim insisted on using a huge new power screwdriver. He nearly put the screwdriver through the outside wall . But, Al stopped him.

Everyday the two men worked on the living room and finally two weeks later the room was ready. Tim got his entertainment center. The boys got their shelves for the toys and Jill got her couch and tile floor. The sliding glass door had to be replaced and this time it was done right.

The living room had remained the same for many years to come. As a matter of fact the room had changed little since that time. Jill smiled as she thought of the boys match box cars that used to line their shelves. She looked at the old fashioned vcr holder that had long been replaced with dvd's and took a deep breath. It had been a good memory. She had been lucky to be a member of the Taylor family.


	27. Chapter 29

Mark Taylor was now a dad and had two boys of his own. He was out in the yard doing some yard work when he heard the phone ring. As he picked up the phone he was pleased to hear from his mother. Even though, they did not live that far apart it seemed like he never had the time to go over and see her.

But Jill had been upstairs cleaning the boys rooms when she had come across a globe that Mark had made when he was in the third grade. He had been very proud of the globe and had painted pictures of every country that he could find on another globe that he had seen. He had used the globe all the way through school. It had occurred to Jill that perhaps Mark's son could use that same globe now.

As Jill talked to Mark about the globe he remembered it. He was so proud of the globe. His thoughts returned to the day when he had decided to make the globe of the world for a project. He was in the third grade and his teacher's name had been Mrs. Phelps. His teacher had been a kind lady who encouraged all of her students to work on their own projects. When Mark had told her about the globe that he was thinking about making she had thought that it was a good idea.

As he had started the project, Mark got picked on from the first day by his brothers Randy and Brad. But, they no longer bothered him as he was used to their ridicule. They were jealous about the things that he did . But they didn't want to admit it.

The first thing he had done was to build the globe itself. He started off with a hard ball. Over the hard ball he had glued newspaper on it. He then spray painted the newspaper and let that all dry. There was a globe in the classroom and Mark worked everyday for weeks at a time copying each and every inch of the globe. He marked every country and painted each one a different color . No two colors touched each other anywhere on the globe.

Each night Mark would close his bedroom door and go to work on his project. Jill was curious about what Mark was doing. But, he was very secretive because of the teasing that he had received from his brothers. Jill would hear Brad and Randy knocking on Mark's door and Mark ignoring them. She had been glad to Mark was finally standing his own ground. He was the youngest and had what appeared to others to be somewhat of a sissy. But Jill knew that they were wrong she could see the inner strength that Mark had.

But dinnertime for Mark had been the worst part. Tim would join in with Randy and Brad in giving Mark a hard time. Jill would scold them, but they would get their digs in anyways. To them it was harmless fun. To Jill it had been people picking on her baby. She knew that the family should meet somewhere in the middle. But Mark had ignored the laughs and had told them that the globe would be awesome when he was done.

The family had watched Mark go upstairs to his room night after night. Finally the boys were getting sick and tired of picking on their brother and just groaned when they had watched him go upstairs to his room alone once again.

Each night Mark went up to his room and pained and marked the countries on the globe. He marked and colored all the oceans and then waited for the paint to dry. He had watched his father spray painting before and used the good memories to do the work. He used caution with the paint and made sure that no paint got on anything.

Finally two days before the open house Mark had finished the globe. It was breakfast time and Mark had come down the stairs carrying his globe. Jill had been very impressed and congratulated Mark on the globe. She had to encourage the boys to say anyting good about it. But Mark had been so proud of his work.

That open house was a wonderful one and Mark had won a blue ribbon for his globe. Everyone was impressed with the work that he had done. But to Jill's amazement she saw Tim over by the globe and he was bragging about his son Mark to a lady. He was proud of his son afterwards.

Mark laughed as he thought about that silly globe. He remembered finding both Brad and Randy using it once or twice for school projects. They had always acted as though they were doing something else but Mark had known wha they were doing.

Marked looked at the picture of his young boys that was sitting on the table next to the phone and smiled. "You know what mom, I think I will bring that old globe to my house. It is time for my boys to use it now." He smiled as he hung up the phone.

The next day Mark and his sons went over to grandma's house. Jill showed them the globe and Mark told them all about it with pride. They didn't seem all that interested in it but they took it. As Mark Kissed his mother good-bye he smiled as his youngest son carried the globe out to the car.

When Mark got home he put the globe on the desk. He wanted his boys to use that whenever they had a question. His wife was impressed with the globe that her husband had made when he was so young. The globe would be used for many years to come.

.


	28. Chapter 30

As the boys grew Jill and Tim had a hard time realizing just how old they were. Brad was starting junior high soon. He had plans, big plans on what he was going to do. He wanted to play on the soccer team. He was a good player and hoped that he would make first team.

Brad was now twelve and Randy was eleven and little Mark was turning eight soon. It had been a regular day and Jill had been home. But as Jill went to make supper she realized that she needed some groceries. She also had to go to the bank. The trip was going to take her over an hour and with the boys it could take her two hours.

But Brad and Randy were busy playing a game and just didn't want to go with their mother to the store. Jill was arguing with the boys and trying to get them to come with her. She didn't like to do it but she called the girl that usually took care of the boys when Tim and Jill weren't going to be home.

Jill had picked up the phone and called Susie who was the usual girl. But, Susie wasn't home , but her mother told Jill that Sharon was available. Jill had been nervous about having another person in her home. So she asked the mother about the young girl. "Sharon is very responsible and will be starting the seventh grade in the fall. That was when reality set in for Jill. Friends of his and other students in his class were now babysitting.

There was no way that Jill could ask Brad to have a babysitter. Even if there was a need for one, she couldn't ask him to have someone babysit him that was in his class. For all she knew Sharon was in a couple of his classes.

So Jill went up the stairs and talked to both Randy and Brad about the possibility of them staying at the house alone for an hour or perhaps an hour and a half. Brad and Randy were excited to finally be allowed to spend sometime in the house without their parents. "We won't do anything. We will not touch the stove or any tools. We will just sit here we promise." Brad had told her with the surety of a teenager that wanted to be left alone.

Mark had insisted on staying with the boys. Mark was very young and sometimes Randy and Brad picked on him "Are you sure that you don't want to go with me?" Jill had asked.

"Mom I will be all right. Nothing is going to happen. It's broad daylight out. for crying out loud."

"Yeah mom we won't let anything happen to the little tweet. We promise." Randy told her

Before Jill had left that day she made sure that they had all the emergency numbers and that they knew better than to touch anything. "Mom all the emergency numbers are right by the phone in case dad needs them." Brad had laughed.

As Jill had left the house, she laughed to herself. Her boys were right. The one that needed the emergency numbers was Tim. He had to call for help at least once a month. He was always doing something and getting himself hurt.

The boys watched as their mother left the house and cheered. They finally had the house to themselves. The first thing they did was look in the refrigerator for something good to eat. There wasn't much in there. Their mother was always trying to get healthy foods. Then they decided to surf the television stations. There were stations that their parents didn't want them to watch. As Brad turned on one of the channels he and Mark and Randy were all disappointed, the channel had been blocked.

That was no good and it was time for their father's television show. They turned on the show and watched their father fumble through the show and had to laugh along with him. Al looked as though he was a little upset with their father, but the boys knew that Al was their father's best friend.

But when it was time for the next show the boys started arguing between themselves. They all had shows that they wanted and the next thing you knew they were fighting. Mark had learned long ago to stay clear of Randy and Brad when they fought so he just went to his room. Brad and Randy tussled for about ten minutes and then they broke the vase.

Brad had seen the vase and watched in horror as it tipped over. He tried to catch it but was too late. As Randy and Brad watched the vase hit the floor with a thundering crash. Mark had been upstairs reading when he had heard the noise. He ran down the stairs and saw his mothers favorite vase lying on the floor in pieces.

"You two are in trouble now. Mom is going to be very mad." Mark told his two brothers.

As Brad and Randy swept up the glass they talked about what they were going to tell their mother . "We could tell her that a big truck went by and it fell off the shelf." Randy told them.

"Just tell her the truth Mom will figure out what happened anyways." Mark told them.

"You little dweeve she will get mad if she hears that Randy and I were fighting. It is your fault too. You should have stopped us before the vase got broke."

"Don't get me involved in your fights." Mark told them.

But just then they heard the sound of their mother's car coming into the driveway. Brad and Randy ran out to help their mother and Jill knew that something had happened. First the boys never volunteered to help her and second they had the look of guilt on both of their faces.

"What happened boys?" Jill asked.

"Nothing." Brad told her.

But Jill knew that there was something wrong. "You can tell me. It can't be that bad. "

The damage had been to her favorite vase and Jill had not allowed the boys to be alone in the house again for three months. But the boys did grow up. They never had a babysitter again.


	29. Chapter 31

Jill couldn't have been prouder than anyone about her boys. But once in a while they did try her patience. She thought about the time that Brad got suspended.

It was the first warm day that the city had seen in weeks. For weeks it had snowed and the weather had been extremely cold. Jill had been going crazy because the boys had been stuck in the house. They couldn't go our for more than an hour, before they got too cold . But finally the signs of spring were in the air. The temperature was now in the sixties and Brad had decided to walk to school.

The walk to school was not that far and Jill thought that Brad was now old enough to walk with his friends. She watched as Brad and two of his friends had walked down the street and had gone inside. She was busy cleaning the house when the phone rang.

On the phone was the school secretary where Brad attended. She was calling because Brad and his two friends had not shown up at the school that morning . "Do you have any idea where Brad could be?" she asked.

Jill was terrified. She had heard about kids being kidnapped and murdered. 'Why on Earth did I let Brad walk to school?' she worried. But she told the lady from the office "No. He left for school with two of his friends and the last time I saw them they were walking down the street towards the school." she told her.

The secretary cleared her throat and told Jill "One of the teacher's aides are here with me in the office and she has something very interesting to say." she then handed the phone over to the aide.

"My name is Jeanette Persons and I work as an aide with Brad in a couple of classes. I was on my way to work when I saw Brad and his friends Steve and Bill. I saw them stop halfway up the hill and go over the railings. They were going towards the trees that are in the park. I think that is where you will find them." she told Jill.

Oh Jill was sure that was where the boys were. She knew that if the kids were going to skip school, that would be a good place for Brad and his friends to wait. She knew that Steve's mother would be headed to work in about a half an hour. They could wait at the park and then go to Steve's house for the day and have a great skip day.

Tim had been at work that morning and was having a pretty good day. That is until he got the call from Jill. 'Boys will be boys . Every boy has skipped school at some point. But Tim knew that Brad had been caught and now he was in trouble.' Tim told Jill "I will go and take care of it . Don't worry."

With that Tim had driven to the park. He parked his car away from the trees and went up to the trees from the back. He could hear the three boys talking and recognized Brad's voice.

Tim chuckled to himself as he listened to the boys and their big plans for the day. They were just waiting for Steve's mom to go to work. Only Jill and Steve's mother had a different plan for the boys. Tim thought that it was a little mean, but what the heck.

Jill looked up Steve's mom's Sues phone number and gave her a call. She told her what the boys were up to. Sue was very upset. "I have an idea on how to teach the boys a lesson that they will never forget. As she told Sue the idea her friend laughed. She told her that she was going to call Bill's mother too. Let's have some fun.

Sue took her car and parked it down the street around the corner and went to the back of her house. There she let in Tim Jill and Mary. They took a seat at the kitchen table and waited. Sure enough with in ten minutes they heard the sounds of the three boys as they went into the house. They just sat there smiling. Tim had his camera in his hand and as the boys walked into the kitchen he snapped their picture.

To say a picture speaks one thousand words is a truthful statement was true on that day. The boys all knew that they were in trouble now. Brad tried his best to explain as did his friends, but there was nothing that they could say.

The three boys were brought up to school that morning even though it was now late. As the sat in the principals office they knew they were in trouble. To Jill and Tim's despair along with the other parents all three boys were suspended for three days. Oh they would have to do all their work that they missed in a special classroom for another three days once they came back to school. As Brad was brought to the car he tried to apologize, but Jill was in no mood to listen. Tim shook his head at Brad and he knew his goose was cooked.

Brad and his friends were all bumming big time when they went back home that day. Brad had three days with his mother that he was going to have to spend and the list of chores that she had for him had made her tired . As she had written down the things that had to be done, she smiled though. This was something that Brad could not do again and she had to make the punishment bad enough so that Randy and Mark would think twice about skipping school.

Brad was not permitted to see or talk to Bill or Steve for two weeks and all was eventually back to normal. It was something that Jill could now look at and remember with fondness.


	30. Chapter 32

Tim Taylor was always being challenged by himself mostly. He always wanted what was the biggest and the fastest of anything and everything that he owned. He was the proud father of three healthy boys and he loved his wife Jill with all of his heart.

But today was going to be one of the more challenging days . He had been the host of Tool Time for a while now and he thought that it was time for him to make some improvements on the set. As he looked around at the set and the location of the office Tim thought that he could make some improvements.

Al came in on a Monday morning when to his horror Tim was hiding his work again. Anytime that Tim didn't want Al to know what he was up to Al knew that it spelled trouble. Al was determined to find out what Tim was up to and kept his eye out for any signs of what was to come.

Unfortunately for everyone on the set they didn't have to wait long. Tim came proudly onto the show and announced what he had planned. "I think that it is about time that the Tool Time area be modernized. Everything has to be done manually and I think that it is time for some of things to be automated. Take this the paper that I am reading for instance. Why could that not be set up on a screen instead. That would save the work of one of the stage hands ." Tim proudly showed off his screen that he could now use.

Al wondered what else Tim could have done with the stage. He looked around quickly and hoped that there wasn't much more. That was when Tim made another announcement. "The lighting is very strong and very hot that we have to stand under. With my invention and this little gadget here I can control the lighting right from the stage. I can lower the heat from the lights and yet at the same time with this fan."

With that Tim had the Tool Time lady Lisa bring a large fan onto the set. Al tried to stop Tim from turning the large fan on, but there wasn't much hope. When Tim had something in his mind there was usually no stopping him. As Tim turned to the audience and smiled he said "Now you probably are wondering why I would need such a large fan. But I need the cooler air to reach the lights that are way above the stage. A small fan would not make any difference in the temperature. I have set this fan up with a temperature guage that is set to shut off when the temperature goes below seventy-two degrees.

Tim was very proud of this work and went to turn on the fan. His best friend Al and everyone in the audience held their breaths. People at home, including his own family were ready for anything and then Tim flipped the switch.

At first nothing happened and Jill and the rest of the people held their breath. But as the fan started to go faster and faster things started to fly around the stage. Tim tried to shut the fan off, but it would not shut off. But, because of the way that Tim had set the fan up it couldn't be shut off until it was disconnected from a battery. Tim had set the fan up so that if the power was off the fan would still work.

Tim reached in vain for the battery and the fan ran amuck for several moments before anyone was able to reach the battery and disconnect it. As everyone breathed a sigh of relief there on the stage were three lights that were there specifically for the camera were in pieces. Everything on the stage was a total mess and all of a sudden no one could find Al.

As the members of the team called out Al's name they found him lying on his back knocked completely out by one of the lights that had fallen down from the ceiling. It was bad when Tim got hurt but this was the first time that Al was hurt and hurt bad enough so they had to call an ambulance.

Tim watched along with his entire crew as the ambulance came and got Al who was just beginning to wake up. Jill knew the drill she had seen many episodes where Tim had been hurt and she called into the station. This time she reached Tim who said he was on his way to the emergency room to check on Al. Jill and the boys decided that it was a good idea that they went there also so in the car they got.

This night Tim was unhurt but one of his inventions had hurt his best friend . As Al's mother came into the emergency room Jill could see the anguish in her face. "Tim you and your crazy inventions, you need to stop putting my Al in such danger." she had almost yelled at Tim that night.

But, Al was going to go home the next day. He had a dislocated shoulder and a mild concussion and was fine within a few weeks. Tim ran the show without his partner and unfortunately did not learn his lesson. While Al was off on his sick leave Tim spent his time working on fixing the fan and making it better. He was sure that if he could control the speed better things would work better.

But, Tim's boss was not impressed with the large amount of damage to the set and Al being out of work. He insisted that Tim never use that fan invention again. Tim dejectedly headed home one day with the fan. As he went in the house Jill pointed to the garage. "That fan is not coming in my house" she had told him

Jill smiled to herself as she thought of the fan and the many inventions Tim had tried to make. With that she shut her journal and turned off her light. As he walked out of the living room she could almost hear the echoes of her family as they once were.


	31. Chapter 33

Another day had come and Jill once more found herself at her desk writing her memoirs. She had so many good memories that she wanted to share her life with her grandchildren and perhaps other children once she was gone.

Brad was always interested in the girls. He was proud that every single time a new girl came to the school that was pretty he was among the first to speak to them. He would meet them at their locker and talk. Sometimes he would find a gem sometimes not.

But on this day Brad had found a girl who was just what he wanted. She was a pretty young girl who was not too bright. Brad was proud of the fact that he could teach her some of the things that he knew. Brad had never been a very bad student, but his studies had never been his strong point. He liked it when the girl was in his class. Sometimes he could show them the things he knew and it would make him feel more superior.

Jill had been at the store when Brad had first brought the girl into the house. Randy and Mark had seen Brad coming through the yard and had watched as Brad had brought her into the house. Brad had introduced the girl to them and immediately the two brothers were not overly impressed. Her name was Donna and although she was as pretty as any of the girls that Brad had ever brought home, she was dumb.

Randy was working on his history assignment as she had come into the house. When she had asked him what he was studying Randy had told her that he was studying up on a near revolution that had occurred in New England when the country was brand new.

Kate had looked at Randy and smiled "I have always been interested in what happens in other countries."

This caught Randy by surprise and he said "No New England not England."

That was when Mark and Randy knew that it was hopeless. Because Kate said "Old England New England they are still the same country, right?"

Randy had looked at her in disbelief and said "Right."

As the two brothers had walked up the stairs giggling to themselves Brad had been proud of his new girl. As Brad saw his mother coming into the house he introduced her.

Jill had been glad to meet another of Brad's girlfriends and had smiled at her. "So what school did you go to before you started school here with my son?" she had asked.

"Oh I went to a small school just outside of Chicago. Can I help?"

At first Jill was happy to have someone volunteer to help with the groceries. But it wasn't too long before Jill discovered that Kate was handful. She asked where everything went even in the refrigerator. She needed to be told to pu t the lettuce in the cold tray marked lettuce. Also it wasn't long into her time with Kate that she realized that any conversation that was over a five years old head was over Kate's head.

When Tim had come home that evening Brad had brought Kate out to the garage to see the car that Tim had been working on. As Jill Mark and Randy stood there in amazement Kate talked to Tim. Some of the questions were really stupid. The girl didn't even know for sure where the battery was.

But you could always count on Randy saying something and he did give Kate an idea that day. "Why don't you take a seat behind the wheel and feel how good the car is from the drivers seat?" he had asked her.

"I can't I don't have a drivers license." she had answered.

"That's all right you're not going to drive the car you are just going to sit behind the wheel. " Randy had promised.

Brad had opened the car door and Kate took a seat behind the wheel. She was just sitting there and Brad and Tim were under the hood looking at things when Kate blew the horn. That caused both of the men to jump and give Kate a look. They gave her the look that meant stop it. But Kate apparently didn't know that she was the one that blew the horn because she blew it again.

This time Tim had stood up and said "Kate please don't blow the horn again. It is very loud when Brad and I are under the hood."

Kate had looked at him with a look of surprise. "I did not blow the horn. All I did was push this metal thing."

Tim shook his head and said "That metal ring is the horn."

That evening Kate had dinner with the Taylor's. She was polite and helped with the setting of the table. But, everything she did she questioned. Jill thought that she had a real lack of confidence in herself. But that wasn't the girls only problem. She was just slow or something.

By the end of the dinner Jill thought that perhaps it was a good idea that Brad walk her home. Jill was afraid that the girl might not be able to find her way home. After all she had not lived in the city for very long. Also, Jill was not sure that she was smart or mature enough to walk the streets alone. It wasn't dark yet and Brad had not wanted to give her a ride home with his parents.

For the next few weeks Brad continued to see Kate in school and sometimes at home. She came over a few more times. But, fortunately for the Taylor family Brad lost most of his interest in her. She was nice but she was just plain dumb. Jill wondered what had happened to this girl as she closed her desk on another chapter.


End file.
